Jessica A. Wojick

The role of serotonin in the orbitofrontal cortex in alcohol consumption

This study shows that serotonin signaling in the orbitofrontal cortex influences alcohol consumption and aversion-resistant drinking in mice.

Convergent state-control of endogenous opioid analgesia

The paper identifies a functional dichotomy in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray, showing that micro opioid receptor neurons encode nociceptive states while enkephalin-releasing neurons drive pain relief in various contexts.

Mimicking opioid analgesia in cortical pain circuits

The paper identifies a cortical circuit in mice modulated by opioids and develops a gene therapy to mimic opioid analgesia for chronic pain.

Anatomical and molecular organization of the nociceptive medial thalamus

This paper creates an anatomical and molecular atlas of the nociceptive medial thalamus, identifying a distinct population of opioid receptor-expressing neurons involved in pain processing.

Lateral hypothalamus CRFR1 regulation of chronic binge drinking: divergence along anterior-posterior axis

This study investigates the role of CRFR1 in the lateral hypothalamus during chronic binge drinking, finding that posterior LH CRFR1 knockdown increases alcohol consumption while also increasing anxiety and reducing sucrose preference.

Adolescent alcohol exposure disrupts retrosplenial cortex physiology in adult males

This study shows that adolescent alcohol exposure reduces intrinsic excitability in adult male retrosplenial cortex pyramidal cells, suggesting vulnerability in males.

A nociceptive amygdala-striatal pathway for chronic pain aversion

This study identifies a BLAnoci ensemble in the basolateral amygdala that mediates both acute and chronic pain behavior through a novel amygdala-striatal circuit involving the nucleus accumbens shell.

Engineered Serum Markers for Noninvasive Monitoring of Gene Expression in the Brain

This paper introduces a noninvasive method to monitor brain gene expression using engineered reporters called RMAs, which detect neuronal activity through blood measurements.

A machine-vision approach for automated pain measurement at millisecond timescales

This paper introduces PAWS, a machine-vision tool for automated pain measurement in mice, showing it can distinguish painful from non-painful stimuli and quantify pain severity.