Dr. Matthew Hearing's Research

Opioid-based drugs remain important tools for the management of pain; however, their reinforcing properties and the development of tolerance and dependence contribute to their misuse and the development of substance use disorders. A major focus of our research is understanding how repeated opioid exposure alters the function of neural circuits that regulate reward, motivation, decision-making, and behavioral control. In parallel, we investigate how chronic psychosocial stress modifies many of these same circuits, contributing to cognitive dysfunction and increasing vulnerability to maladaptive behavior.

A central focus of this work is the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens—two highly interconnected brain regions critical for cognitive control and motivated behavior. Using ex vivo brain slice electrophysiology, we examine how chronic drug exposure and stress alter excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission, intrinsic neuronal excitability, presynaptic neurotransmitter release, and postsynaptic glutamate receptor signaling. These studies allow us to identify adaptations within specific neuronal populations and determine how disruptions in the balance between excitatory and inhibitory signaling contribute to altered circuit function.

Our laboratory uses a multi-level experimental approach to connect changes at individual synapses and cells to neural circuit activity and behavior. Rodent models of drug self-administration, relapse, chronic stress, and cognitive function are combined with ex vivo electrophysiology, cell- and circuit-specific viral strategies, optogenetics, and in vivo calcium imaging. These approaches allow us to monitor the activity of defined neuronal populations during behavior, identify adaptations within specific neural pathways, and experimentally manipulate these circuits to determine their causal contributions to behavioral outcomes.

Ultimately, our goal is to understand how chronic drug exposure and stress reshape prefrontal-striatal circuits over time, how factors such as biological sex influence vulnerability or resilience to these adaptations, and whether targeted manipulation of specific cells, synapses, or circuits can restore healthy neural and behavioral function.

Selected Publications

Link to all Dr. Hearing's Publications