OVERVIEW
Addiction
Investigating the neuroscience behind addiction to substances such as alcohol and sugar
Group Leader of the Addiction Neuroscience and Obesity group at QUT, Professor Selena Bartlett, aims to develop treatments for addiction. Prof Bartlett and her group are currently researching:
- Smoking & alcohol addiction: Prof Bartlett and her team are developing new pharmacotherapeutic intervention that target brain mechanisms shared by addiction to alcohol and nicotine. Recently, the group has published findings in pre-clinical models to show an anxiety medication/antidepressant (tandospirone) may reverse neurological deficits caused by heavy alcohol consumption. Read more.
- Sugar addiction: With obesity rates on the rise worldwide and excess sugar consumption considered a direct contributor, the search has been on for treatments to reverse the trend. Prof Bartlett's group has published results to show that drugs used to treat nicotine addiction could be used to treat sugar addiction in animals. Read more.
Image: Prof Selena Bartlett and Dr Arnauld Belmer at TRI.
Related News
Key Researchers
Selena Bartlett
Key Aims
- To develop new technology and pharmacotherapeutics for the treatment of addiction and obesity.
- To better understand the mechanisms behind the link between alcohol dependency and smokers.
- To provide information so people can make informed choices about the quantity and strength of the alcohol they consume.
