July 8, 2020
MILWAUKEE 鈥� Dr. John Mantsch, chair and professor of biomedical sciences, and Dr. Matthew Hearing, assistant professor of biomedical sciences in the College of Health Sciences at 向日葵视频, received a $1.7 million R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health for their neuroscientific study on substance use disorder in women.
The project, titled 鈥淓strogen regulation of the prefrontal cortex and drug seeking,鈥� aims to identify the role biological sex 鈥� specifically the hormone estrogen 鈥� plays in disordered substance use and relapse.
The pair identified and will further study a novel mechanism in the brain 
through which estrogen acutely promotes drug seeking by affecting the prefrontal cortex in those with previous substance abuse disorders.
鈥淪ubstance use disorders are among society鈥檚 most pressing challenges, yet effective interventions are lacking,鈥� Mantsch said. 鈥淐onsidering the chronically relapsing nature of substance abuse disorders, understanding the factors that contribute to relapse risk is a critical research question.鈥�
鈥淲e know that on average, woman experience greater difficulty abstaining and resume substance use for longer periods of time following relapse, and that women are particularly susceptible to relapse during periods of stress,鈥� Hearing said. 鈥淲hile we know that this vulnerability is driven in part by sex hormones, this research could really help us understand how hormonally mediated reproductive and stress brain states intersect to elevate relapse risk.鈥�
鈥淭he cutting-edge research of Drs. Mantsch and Hearing continues to address some of our most important societal challenges - mental health disorders - as well as raise the neuroscience research profile of the college and university鈥� said Dr. William E. Cullinan, dean of the College of Health Sciences. 鈥淲e鈥檙e pleased that the National Institutes of Health continues to recognize and fund this valuable addiction research project.鈥�
Jesse is a senior communication specialist for the College of Health Sciences in the Office of Marketing and Communication. Contact Jesse at (414) 288-4984 or jesse.lee@marquette.edu.
