Our Research

We are exposed to many different environmental factors in our everyday life that can modulate our physiology and the way our body and brain respond to different diseases. One of these factors -and indeed a very important one- is the gut microbiota (i.e., the bacteria that inhabit our gut). The gut microbiota has been linked with many brain and behavioral responses, including addiction and substance use disorders. However, the molecular mechanisms behind the interplay between drugs of abuse, the gut microbiome and psychiatric diseases remain unclear.

Our laboratory uses a multidisciplinary approach that combines behavioral neuroscience techniques and microbiological strategies to continue revealing the role of the gut microbiota in the progression to addiction and substance use disorders. Our research is focused on two main questions:

1) Which members of the gut microbiota affect drug addiction and how?

2) Can the gut microbiota alter brain maturation?

We aim at identifying specific members of the microbiota, and the molecular mechanisms they use to impact brain maturation and function in the context of substance use disorders. Our ultimate goal is to generate data that can help the development of therapeutic strategies and early intervention programs directed to reduce the detrimental consequences of addiction and substance use disorders, as well as other psychiatric conditions.