I’m primarily interested in behavioral neuropharmacology. Specifically, I am studying self-administration of nicotine in rats. Future directions include studying the co-administration of nicotine and other drugs such as ethanol, the interaction of nicotine use and alcoholism, and the intersection of nicotine use and psychopathology (for example, nicotine use by schizophrenics). In Dr. McBride’s lab, we are one of a small number of groups worldwide which has been successful using an intracranial self-administration technique for our rats. This allows us to better understand the specific neuronal pathways and receptors involved in drug reinforcement.