Dr Sarah King

Biography

Sussex University: Psychology Home Page

2004- Lecturer in Behavioural Neuroscience (University of Sussex)

1997-2004 Postdoctoral Fellow (Yale University, CT, USA)

1993-1997 DPhil Neuroscience (Sussex)

1992-1993 MSc Gene Manipulation and Molecular Biology (Sussex)

1987-1990 BSc Biology (University of Bristol)

Role

Lecturer in Behavioural Neuroscience

My lab seeks to establish how molecular events within the brain are able to influence and affect behaviour.  Project in my laboratory (or in collaboration with others) include:

1) Role of GABA(A) receptors in accumbal function and addiction.  Using knockout and viral-mediated transgenic technologies to study the role of these receptors in behaviour (projects studying alpha2 and alpha4 subunit containing receptors).

2) How polymorphisms in the GABRA2 gene influence behaviour in humans.

3) Role of nicotinic receptors in corticothalamic circuits in development alter stress reactivity in adulthood. 

4) How APOE genotype affects cognition and nicotine psychopharmacology (fMRI study)

5) Influences of adolescent alcohol exposure on brain and behaviour.

Programme Convenor for BSc Experimental Psychology (intercalated degree)

Course Convenor (and teaching) on C8528 Brain and Behaviour (Undergrad), 922C8 Brain and Behaviour (Masters), 995C8 Basic Neuroanatomy (Masters)

Teaching on Functional Neuroanatomy (Life Sci), Neural Circuits (Life Sci) 

Research Supervision for DPhil and Masters Projects, C8824 Empirical Projects

Teaching and Learning Development course - Learning in Labs

Other Roles - Psychology Career Liaison Tutor

Student Consultation

Office hours: Monday 11-12am, Thursday 10-11am

Dowell, Nicholas G, Ruest, Torsten, Evans, Simon L, King, Sarah L, Tabet, Naji, Tofts, Paul S and Rusted, Jennifer M (2013) MRI of carriers of the apolipoprotein E e4 allele-evidence for structural differences in normal-appearing brain tissue in e4+ relative to e4- young adults. NMR in Biomedicine, 26 (6). pp. 674-682. ISSN 0952-3480

Stephens, Dai and King, Sarah L (2013) Neuropharmacology of benzodiazepines. In: Biological research on addiction: comprehensive addictive behaviors and disorders. Academic Press, San Diego, pp. 605-614. ISBN 9780123983350

Rusted, J M, Evans, S L, King, S L, Dowell, N G, Tabet, N and Tofts, P S (2013) APOE e4 polymorphism in young adults is associated with improved attention and indexed by distinct neural signatures. NeuroImage, 65 (1). pp. 364-373. ISSN 1053-8119

Peña-Oliver, Y, Buchman, V L, Dalley, J W, Robbins, T W, Schumann, G, Ripley, T L, King, S L and Stephens, D N (2012) Deletion of alpha-synuclein decreases impulsivity in mice. Genes, Brain and Behavior, 11 (2). pp. 137-146. ISSN 1601-1848

Xu, Hong-Ping, Furman, Moran, Mineur, Yann S, Chen, Hui, King, Sarah L, Zenisek, David, Zhou, Z Jimmy, Butts, Daniel A, Tian, Ning, Picciotto, Marina R and Crair, Michael C (2011) An instructive role for patterned spontaneous retinal activity in mouse visual map development. Neuron, 70 (6). pp. 1115-1127. ISSN 0896-6273

Heath, Christopher J, King, Sarah L, Gotti, Cecilia, Marks, Michael J and Picciotto, Marina R (2010) Cortico-thalamic connectivity is vulnerable to nicotine exposure during early postnatal development through α4/β2/α5 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Neuropsychopharmacology, 35 (12). pp. 2324-2338. ISSN 0893-133X

King, Sarah L (2010) Mouse Genetic Approaches to Psychiatric Disorders. In: Encyclopedia of Behavioral Neuroscience. Elsevier Science, London, pp. 280-285. ISBN 9780080453965

Marchant, Natalie L, King, Sarah L, Tabet, Naji and Rusted, Jennifer M (2010) Positive Effects of Cholinergic Stimulation Favor Young APOE ε4 Carriers. Neuropsychopharmacology, 35 (5). pp. 1090-1096. ISSN 0893-133X

Dixon, Claire I, Morris, Hannah V, Breen, Gerome, Desrivieres, Sylvane, Jugurnauth, Sarah, Steiner, Rebecca C, Vallada, Homero, Guindalini, Camila, Laranjeira, Ronaldo, Messas, Guilherme, Rosahl, Thomas W, Atack, John R, Peden, Dianne R, Belelli, Delia, Lambert, Jeremy J, King, Sarah L, Schumann, Gunter and Stephens, David N (2010) Cocaine effects on mouse incentive-learning and human addiction are linked to α2 subunit-containing GABAA receptors. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107 (5). pp. 2289-2294. ISSN 0027-8424

Marchant, Natalie L, King, Sarah L, Tabet, Naji and Rusted, Jennifer M (2010) Positive effects of cholinergic stimulation favor young APOE epsilon4 carriers. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 35 (5). pp. 1090-6. ISSN 1740-634X

Stephens, D N, Belelli, D, Lambert, J J, Thomas, H and King, S L (2009) Gaba(A) receptor subunits: their contribution to ethanol and other addictive behaviours in mice. In: 32nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism, 20-24th June 2009, San Diego, California.

Mineur, Y S, Brunzell, D H, Grady, S R, Lindstrom, J M, McIntosh, J M, Marks, M J, King, S L and Picciotto, M R (2009) Localized low-level re-expression of high-affinity mesolimbic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors restores nicotine-induced locomotion but not place conditioning. Genes, Brain and Behavior, 8 (3). pp. 257-266. ISSN 1601-1848

Terzi, Dimitra, Stergiou, Eugenia, King, Sarah L and Zachariou, Venetia (2009) Chapter 10: Regulators of G Protein Signaling in Neuropsychiatric Disorders. In: Molecular Biology of RGS Proteins. Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science, 86 . Elsevier Science, London, pp. 299-333. ISBN 9780123747594

Caldarone, Barbara J, King, Sarah L and Picciotto, Marina R (2008) Sex differences in anxiety-like behaviour and locomotor activity following chronic nicotine exposure in mice. Neuroscience Letters, 439 (2). pp. 187-191. ISSN 0304-3940

Miwa, Julie M, Stevens, Tanya R, King, Sarah, Caldarone, Barbara J, Ibanez-Tallon, Ines, Xiao, Cheng, Fitzsimonds, Reiko Maki, Pavlides, Constantine, Lester, Henry A, Picciotto, Marina R and Heintz, Nathaniel (2006) The Prototoxin lynx1 Acts on Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors to Balance Neuronal Activity and Survival In Vivo. Neuron, 51 (5). pp. 587-600. ISSN 0028-3878

Caldarone, Barbara J, Harrist, Alexia, Cleary, Muriel A, Beech, Robert D, King, Sarah L and Picciotto, Marina R (2004) High-affinity nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are required for antidepressant effects of amitriptyline on behavior and hippocampal cell proliferation. Biological Psychiatry, 56 (9). pp. 657-664. ISSN 0006-3223

King, Sarah L, Caldarone, Barbara J and Picciotto, Marina R (2004) β2-subunit-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are critical for dopamine-dependent locomotor activation following repeated nicotine administration. Neuropharmacology, 47 (S1). pp. 132-139. ISSN 0028-3908

Caldarone, B J, Karthigeyan, K, Harrist, A, Hunsberger, J G, Wittmack, E, King, S L, Jatlow, P and Picciotto, M R (2003) Sex differences in response to oral amitriptyline in three animal models of depression in C57BL/6J mice. Psychopharmacology, 170 (1). pp. 94-101. ISSN 0033-3158

King, Sarah L, Marks, Michael J, Grady, Sharon R, Caldarone, Barbara J, Koren, Andrei O, Mukhin, Alexey G, Collins, Allan C and Picciotto, Marina R (2003) Conditional expression in corticothalamic efferents reveals a developmental role for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in modulation of passive avoidance behavior. Journal of Neuroscience, 23 (9). pp. 3837-3843. ISSN 0270-6474

Picciotto, Marina R, Caldarone, Barbara J, Brunzell, Darlene H, Zachariou, Venetia, Stevens, Tanya R and King, Sarah L (2001) Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit knockout mice: physiological and behavioral phenotypes and possible clinical implications. Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 92 (2-3). pp. 89-108. ISSN 0163-7258

Picciotto, Marina R, Caldarone, Barbara J, King, Sarah L and Zachariou, Venetia (2000) Nicotinic Receptors in the Brain: Links between Molecular Biology and Behavior. Neuropsychopharmacology, 22 (5). pp. 451-465. ISSN 0893-133X

Mukhin, Alexey G, Gündisch, Daniela, Horti, Andrew G, Koren, Andrei O, Tamagnan, Gilles, Kimes, Alane S, Chambers, Joann, Vaupel, D Bruce, King, Sarah L, Picciotto, Marina R, Innis, Robert B and London, Edythe D (2000) 5-Iodo-A-85380, an α4β2 Subtype-Selective Ligand for Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors. Molecular Pharmacology , 57 (3). pp. 642-649. ISSN 0026-895X