Jonathan Britt
Assistant Professor
Stewart Biological Sciences Bldg.
Room N8/9, 514-398-3625
jonathan.britt at mcgill.ca
Research Summary
Dr. Britt’s research examines the neural circuitry underlying motivated behaviours relevant to reward learning and drug addiction. He primarily focuses on neural processing in the basal ganglia, which is a collection of nuclei that regulate reinforcement learning. This circuitry also affects as the vigor and self-awareness by which animals pursue specific goals. By combining electrophysiological and optogenetic techniques with various behavioural tasks, his research program seeks to identify the precise neural circuits and synaptic modifications that support compulsive behaviour. This research is applicable to numerous neuropsychiatric conditions including addiction, Tourette’s Syndrome, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Optogenetic interrogations of the neural circuits underlying addiction.
Britt JP, Bonci A.
Curr Opin Neurobiol.
2013 Aug 23; (4):539-45.
Synaptic and behavioral profile of multiple glutamatergic inputs to the nucleus accumbens.
Britt JP, Benaliouad F, McDevitt RA, Stuber GD, Wise RA, Bonci A.
Neuron. 2012 Nov 21; 76(4):790-803.
Use of channelrhodopsin for activation of CNS neurons.
Britt JP, McDevitt RA, Bonci A.
Curr Protoc Neurosci. 2012; Chapter 2: Unit 2.16.
Presynaptic opioid and nicotinic receptor modulation of dopamine overflow in the nucleus accumbens.
Britt JP, McGehee DS.
J Neurosci. 2008 Feb 13; 28(7):1672-81.
Updated: January 2014
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