Wednesday, March 25, 2026 3/25/2026

Anatomical Basis for Nicotine Addiction

Award Number: R37DA014241
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 02/01/2025
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 01/31/2030

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Anatomical Basis for Nicotine Addiction - PROJECT SUMMARY (See instructions): Despite the necessary role of dopamine in nicotine reinforcement, it is not sufficient to explain the complexity of addiction. Additional processes, particularly the ability of cues associated with nicotine exposure to develop control over behavior, are essential for ongoing drug seeking. Both human subjects and rodents experience reward-enhancement when exposed to nicotine. This has led to the idea that one of the primary factors driving nicotine addiction is its ability to potentiate the value of other appetitive stimuli and to accelerate cue-reward learning. The major achievement arising from this grant is the discovery of a VT A-to-VP GABA circuit and a MS-to-BLA ACh circuit that increase responding for rewards and reward-paired cues. We have now published manuscripts on characterization and manipulation of these novel, potentially interacting, circuits, as well as on proteomic approaches to identify intracellular pathways downstream of nAChRs in the VTA that contribute to cellular and morphological plasticity following nicotine administration. Our new and updated Aims will expand on this progress by identifying the role of nAChRs in these circuits, exploring cholinergic inputs to the VTA-to-VP GABA neurons, identifying nicotine-dependent proteomic changes in BLA, and determining whether these pathways interact to promote cue-reward behaviors. Together, these proposed studies will go beyond initial steps of nicotine reward mediated through DA signaling to identify circuits and signaling pathways involved in the ability of nicotine to potentiate rewarding responses, processes that likely contribute to long-term susceptibility to nicotine addiction and relapse.


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 = $419,479 )
2026	2026	YALE UNIV	150 MUNSON ST	NEW HAVEN	CT	06511	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	000	22	2/26/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$419,479
														Subtotal = $419,479

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $418,750 )
2025	2025	YALE UNIV	150 MUNSON ST	NEW HAVEN	CT	06511	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	000	21	2/27/2025	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$418,750
2025	2024	YALE UNIV	150 MUNSON ST	NEW HAVEN	CT	06511	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	001	20	6/11/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $418,750

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $376,875 )
2024	2024	YALE UNIV	150 MUNSON ST	NEW HAVEN	CT	06511	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	001	20	4/25/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$37,687
2024	2024	YALE UNIVERSITY	105 WALL ST	NEW HAVEN	CT	06511	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	000	20	1/23/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$339,188
														Subtotal = $376,875

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $376,875 )
2023	2023	YALE UNIVERSITY	105 WALL ST	NEW HAVEN	CT	06511	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	000	19	1/31/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$376,875
														Subtotal = $376,875

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $376,875 )
2022	2022	YALE UNIVERSITY	105 WALL ST	NEW HAVEN	CT	06511	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	000	18	1/18/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$339,187
2022	2022	YALE UNIVERSITY	105 WALL ST	NEW HAVEN	CT	06511	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	001	18	3/25/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$37,688
														Subtotal = $376,875

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $376,875 )
2021	2021	YALE UNIVERSITY	105 WALL ST	NEW HAVEN	CT	06511	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	000	17	2/9/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$376,875
														Subtotal = $376,875

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $381,124 )
2020	2020	YALE UNIVERSITY	105 WALL ST	NEW HAVEN	CT	06511	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	000	16	3/27/2020	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$376,875
2020	2020	YALE UNIVERSITY	105 WALL ST	NEW HAVEN	CT	06511	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	001	16	5/26/2020	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$4,249
2020	2020	YALE UNIVERSITY	105 WALL ST	NEW HAVEN	CT	06511	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	002	16	6/3/2020	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $381,124

Grand Total All Awards = $2,726,853

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Anatomical Basis for Nicotine Addiction

Award Number: R37DA014241

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 02/01/2025

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 01/31/2030

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