Lauren L. Bystrom

This study identifies divergent post-transcriptional neuroimmune responses in microglia following morphine and methamphetamine exposure, revealing persistent splicing changes in morphine that may contribute to opioid use disorder pathophysiology.

This study identifies CGRP-expressing parabrachial nucleus neurons as regulators of opioid reinforcement, suggesting new therapeutic targets for OUD.

This study shows methamphetamine induces long-term transcriptional and morphological changes in microglia that contribute to drug-seeking behavior and may inform treatment strategies for methamphetamine use disorder.

This study compares synaptic plasticity in the nucleus accumbens under continuous vs interrupted morphine exposure in mice, finding divergent effects on inhibitory synapses and D1-MSN output.

This study investigates microglial calcium signaling in vivo, finding that microglial processes respond to changes in neuronal activity through calcium transients, while somatic calcium changes occur only after seizures.