aasarch@uw.edu

Research Lab

Neumaier Lab

Research Overview

Developing a deeper understanding of the patterns of brain activity found in those affected by the ongoing opioid crisis to create more directed treatment options. Specifically, I investigate the impact of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, on the activity patterns of neuronal networks. By using advanced neuroimaging techniques, I am able to visualize and record the activity of a large subset of individual neurons. The neurons I am looking at are genetically modified to express a fluorescent marker that, when active, allows for the direct visualization of what neurons are firing in the brain and when. Moreover, by designing novel machine learning techniques, we essentially have a live view into the brain's activity during the self-administration of fentanyl.