Professor Jennifer Cornish - Macquarie University, Sydney : "Understanding Methamphetamine Addiction: Implications for Novel Therapeutics"
Speaker:
Professor Jennifer Cornish
Centre for Emotional Help (CEH), Macquarie University, Sydney
Title: Understanding Methamphetamine Addiction: Implications for Novel Therapeutics
Abstract: The abuse of “ice” (methamphetamine, “METH”) continues to destroy families, careers and lives of users, with current treatments (pharmacological or psychological) inadequate for curing addiction and the associated mental health disorders that develop with repeated METH abuse (psychoses, depression, anxiety). Our aim, using rodent models, is to discover the neurobiological underpinnings of METH addiction and psychosis to develop effective pharmacotherapies. Some of the most promising pharmacological leads for reducing METH abuse and addiction comes from our work using the neuropeptide oxytocin, or cannabinoids. The data I will describe in this seminar will demonstrate the potential utility of oxytocin or the cannabinoids of cannabidiol, cannabigerol and cannabis resin for the treatment of METH addiction to point to novel therapeutic avenues for treatment discovery.
About Neuroscience Seminars
Neuroscience seminars at the QBI play a major role in the advancement of neuroscience in the Asia-Pacific region. The primary goal of these seminars is to promote excellence in neuroscience through the exchange of ideas, establishing new collaborations and augmenting partnerships already in place.
Seminars in the QBI Auditorium are held on Wednesdays at 12-1pm, which are sometimes simulcast on Zoom (with approval from the speaker). We also occassionally hold seminars from international speakers via Zoom. The days and times of these seminars will vary depending on the time zone of the speaker. Please see each seminar listed below for details.
