Nick Morgan Timme

Research in our laboratory is focused on understanding the neural computations underlying decision-making and how they malfunction. Specifically, we are most interested in understanding the causes of aversion-resistant alcohol drinking and finding treatments for this key component of alcohol use disorder (AUD, “alcoholism”). People who suffer from AUD frequently drink alcohol despite negative consequences. Our lab seeks to identify and repair alterations in the neural circuits that govern the decision to drink which produce this behavior.

In pursuit of these goals, we employ pre-clinical rodent models and in vivo electrophysiology to examine neural computations during decision-making. We also utilize advanced data analysis techniques, including machine learning and computational models to analyze the data. We also utilize optogenetic and chemogenetic techniques to modify neural behavior.

In the future, we will expand our studies to include the roll stress plays in aversion-resistant drinking, we will examine other types of addiction (both addictions with (e.g., opioids) and without (e.g., gambling) exogenous pharmacological elements), and we will pursue more advanced computational modelling approaches to improve treatment predictions.

Grant: #R00AA028265 Investigators:Timme, Nicholas 01-01-2024 -12-31-2024 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Identifying how alcohol-evoked changes in neural firing affect systems level computations during decision-making Role:PI 0.00 Hold Level:Federal

Peer Reviewed Publications

N. M. Timme, C. E. Ardinger, S. D. C. Weir, R. Zelaya-Escobar, R. Kruger, C. C. Lapish (2024. ) Non-consummatory behavior signals predict aversion-resistant alcohol drinking in head-fixed mice.Neuropharmacology, , 242 ,109762 More Information