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Examining somatostatin receptor pathways following binge drinking: a focus on PFC-->PAG projections

Award Number: F32AA032721
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/01/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2029

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Examining somatostatin receptor pathways following binge drinking: a focus on PFC-->PAG projections - Project Summary Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a common condition affecting over 10% of people aged 12 and older, with binge drinking (4-5 drinks within 2 hours) among the riskiest forms seen in 1 in 6 adults. Despite this, the biological underpinnings of AUD are not fully understood, and there remains a critical need for improved treatments. Somatostatin (SST), a neuropeptide implicated in psychiatric disorders, has shown links to AUD in both preclinical models and humans. Studies indicate that alcohol intake reduces SST expression, particularly within the prefrontal cortex (PFC), where SST influences neuronal signaling. However, little is known about how this alcohol-induced reduction PFC SST function affects downstream brain regions and networks. This fellowship aims to investigate the role of SST signaling onto PFC outputs to the periaqueductal gray (PAG), a pathway involved in pain and behavior modulation, which are altered in AUD. Using the ‘drinking in the dark’ (DID) model of voluntary binge-like alcohol consumption in mice, this study will examine alcohol-induced changes in SST function. Aim 1 will assess DID-induced changes in SST effect onto PFC→PAG projections using patch-clamp electrophysiology to evaluate functional impacts on specific neurons. Aim 2 will investigate how binge drinking alters SST-driven changes in PFC→PAG glutamate projections using in vivo neuroimaging to assess changes in SST and PAG-projecting neuron activity in both headfixed and freely moving mice. This fellowship will support my career goal of becoming an independent faculty scientist, with a research program exploring how chronic pain-induced changes in physiologcy impact drug effects at molecular, neuronal, and behavioral levels. I will receive expert training in alcohol models, electrophysiology, in vivo imaging, and computational analysis. This F32 fellowship will support my scientific growth in key areas with guidance from expert mentors Drs. Crowley and Drew and has clear future directions for a subsequent K99/R00 application.


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 = $76,780 )
2026	2026	THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY	201 OLD MAIN	UNIVERSITY PARK	PA	16802	CENTRE	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	000	1	6/16/2026	NEW	$76,780
2026	2026	THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY	201 OLD MAIN	UNIVERSITY PARK	PA	16802	CENTRE	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	001	1	6/16/2026	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $76,780

Grand Total All Awards = $76,780

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Examining somatostatin receptor pathways following binge drinking: a focus on PFC-->PAG projections

Award Number: F32AA032721

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/01/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2029

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