Our research focuses on various aspects of addictions, with projects that mirror the diverse and interconnected expertise of our team.

The overarching goal of the Centre is to integrate cutting-edge preclinical and clinical research in order to pursue innovative therapeutic strategies.

Clinical Projects

Dr Richard De Visser

I am continuing to carry out work related to Dry January and its impact: this includes consultations with, and advice to, three French charities whose decision to establish Dry January in France in 2020 was strongly influenced by my findings of the positive impact of Dry January in the UK.

I am also continuing to study how to make it easier for people to understand and use government guidelines for lower-risk drinking. This includes supervising a PhD co-funded by the Drinkaware Trust, looking at the impact of labels on packaged alcohol.

I am also looking to extend research funded by the MRC that has focused on developing effective components of school-based alcohol education.  

Pre-Clinical Projects

Dr Bryan Singer

Our research investigates individual variation in the biopsychosocial underpinnings of various mental health conditions, including substance use disorders and gambling disorder.

We use sophisticated models and experimental procedures to understand why individuals choose to pursue specific rewards, and not others. Also, we are examining pre- and post-synaptic neuroadaptations that are associated with addiction.

Through these projects, we hope to develop novel and personalised therapies for substance use and gambling disorders.

Listen to Dr Singer discuss his work and research philosophy:

Dr Eisuke Koya

I am interested in how neuronal ensembles establish and update learned associations between food and the cues that predict their availability. To this end, our laboratory uses tools to monitor and manipulate the activity of neuronal ensembles that express the activity marker ‘Fos’ using transgenic and viral strategies.

We also characterise the physiological alterations in these neuronal ensembles using ex vivo electrophysiology.

Our work has implications for other behavioural disorders, such as addiction, since the learned association between cues and drug rewards play an important role in its development.

We have been previously funded by the BBSRC and MRC Discovery Award and currently by the Leverhulme Trust and the MRC.