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The Impact of Perinatal Fentanyl on Dopamine Neuron Circuitry and Behavior

Award Number: F31DA062453
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 12/12/2024
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/11/2027

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The Impact of Perinatal Fentanyl on Dopamine Neuron Circuitry and Behavior - Project Summary Use of illicit substances has reached endemic levels in the United States with over 91,000 deaths due to drug overdose occurring in 2020. This has largely affected women of childbearing age as opioid use disorder has more than quadrupled among pregnant women in the past 20 years. Both clinical and preclinical studies show that opioid exposure during gestation can lead to developmental delays, cognitive impairment, anhedonia and reduced motivation in offspring. Opioids induce neuroadaptations in the mesolimbic dopamine pathway, which is largely implicated in reward. The pathway originates in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) where dopamine neurons project to the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Prolonged opioid use has been shown to reduce the soma size of VTA dopamine neurons and decrease dopamine output in the NAc. In addition, a recent study in our lab found downregulation of important genes for VTA dopamine neuron maturation and axonal guidance in the VTA of juvenile mice perinatally exposed to fentanyl (PFE), a highly potent opioid, compared to controls. Preliminary data from our lab indicates that PFE mice exhibit reduced soma size, motivation as indicated by active lever pressing in an operant task and cue evoked dopamine signaling compared to controls. Thus, I hypothesize that perinatal fentanyl exposure will lead to reduced soma size in VTA dopamine neurons and their proper axonal targeting, along with decreased dopamine release and motivation in adulthood. First, I will use differential gene expression and morphological analysis across multiple developmental timepoints to understand the transcriptional and circuit level impact of perinatal fentanyl exposure on the developing mesolimbic dopamine pathway. Second, I will use fiber photometric recording of dopamine during an operant behavioral task to investigate how perinatal fentanyl exposure affects dopamine signaling in the NAc and motivation in adulthood. Through these experiments, I aim to uncover the impact of perinatal fentanyl exposure on the development of the mesolimbic dopamine pathway and its function in adulthood.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $47,104 )
2026	2026	UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE	220 ARCH ST OFC LEVEL2	BALTIMORE	MD	21201	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	002	2	3/24/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$576
2026	2026	UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE	220 ARCH ST OFC LEVEL2	BALTIMORE	MD	21201	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	000	2	12/19/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$46,528
2026	2025	UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE	220 ARCH ST OFC LEVEL2	BALTIMORE	MD	21201	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	001	1	1/29/2026	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $47,104

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $45,678 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE	220 ARCH ST OFC LEVEL2	BALTIMORE	MD	21201	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	001	1	12/12/2024	NEW	$0
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE	220 ARCH ST OFC LEVEL2	BALTIMORE	MD	21201	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	003	1	7/22/2025	NEW	$564
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE	220 ARCH ST OFC LEVEL2	BALTIMORE	MD	21201	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	002	1	12/12/2024	NEW	$0
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE	220 ARCH ST OFC LEVEL2	BALTIMORE	MD	21201	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	000	1	12/12/2024	NEW	$45,114
														Subtotal = $45,678

Grand Total All Awards = $92,782

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The Impact of Perinatal Fentanyl on Dopamine Neuron Circuitry and Behavior

Award Number: F31DA062453

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 12/12/2024

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/11/2027

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