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Department of Pharmacology

Christine L. Konradi, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Pharmacology
Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Pharmacology

Research Description

The Konradi Laboratory studies the molecular mechanisms of psychiatric disorders. We are interested in the influence of environment and experience on the molecular properties of the brain throughout life, and how these factors intersect with brain disorders. We aim to define the molecular events associated with learning, behavioral adaptation, and brain disorders. The approach we take is ‘translational’, spanning from neurons in culture to rodent models and the human brain. We use pharmacological paradigms such as exposure to drugs, behavioral models related to learning, anxiety and addiction, and pathological models of human diseases. Techniques applied in the lab include molecular biology and pharmacology techniques to characterize signal transduction pathways in neurons, and gene array technologies to examine altered gene expression patterns. These methodologial approaches are combined with studies of behavior. Our research is geared toward understanding (1) disorders such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease, (2) the therapeutic action of drugs in the developing and the adult brain, and (3) drug abuse and its effect on the developing and adult brain.

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Vanderbilt Faculty Profile 

Vanderbilt Brain Institute (VBI)