Chang S Xu

This study identifies ventral pallidal GABAergic neurons as a key population controlling hedonic feeding and obesity in mice through optogenetic and ablation experiments.

The paper identifies impaired SK channel function in mesolimbic dopamine neurons as a mechanism driving reward seeking adaptations in chronic neuropathic pain.

The paper defines the transcriptional taxonomy of ventral pallidum cell types across mice, macaques, and baboons using snRNA-seq and in situ hybridization, finding transcriptional conservation and unique subclusters in primates.

The paper introduces hamFISH, a method for multiplexed in situ hybridization to profile gene expression, connectivity, and activity in the medial amygdala of mice, identifying 16 inhibitory and 10 excitatory neuron types.