We take a systems neuroscience approach to examine the neural circuitry between the limbic and reward systems to uncover novel neural circuits involved in neuropsychiatric illness. The laboratory also has a strong focus in substance and alcohol use disorder. Our laboratory employs both in vivo and ex vivo techniques including electrophysiology, optogenetics, chemogenetics freely moving calcium imaging, advanced microscopy, and mouse behavior paradigms in order to identify, record, and manipulate discrete neural circuits to determine their role in disease states