Alexis C. Thompson, PhD

Senior Research Scientist

Behavioral Neuroscience

Department of Psychology
College of Arts and Sciences

Contact Information

1021 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14203-1016
Office Phone: (716) 887-2243
Lab Phone: (716) 887-2226
Email: athompso@ria.buffalo.edu

Primary Research Areas

Experience-induced or drug-induced neural adaptations associated with increased vulnerability to, or expression of, drug addiction, anxiety, and maternal behavior; mesolimbic cortical pathway function; neuropeptide regulation of monoamines; behavioral regulation of pain and analgesia.

Research Publications Expertise

Research Projects

Peripheral Biomarkers of Cocaine Dependence and Relapse
11/13/18
Thompson | Straubinger | Qu
This project developed analytic methods to conduct large-scale analyses of brain peptides to (a) better understand how cocaine abuse changes brain activity and (b) identify changes of relapse vulnerability.
Effects of Negative Consequences on Drug Self Administration in Rats
11/13/18
Richards | Thompson
Evaluation of Neuropeptide Y as a Target for Cocaine Dependence Treatment
11/13/18
Thompson | DiPirro
This research tested the hypothesis that increasing the levels of neuropeptide Y (a peptide neuromodulator) in the brain will reduce anxiety and craving for cocaine.
CNS Opioids and Maternal Behavior
11/13/18
Kristal | Thompson
Neurochemical mechanisms mediating the hallucinogenic effects of LSD and other serotonergic hallucinogens
11/13/18
(in collaboration with PI Jerrold Winter, PhD and Richard Rabin, PhD, both of UB’s Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology).
Efficacy of buprenorphine in the treatment of post-operative pain in the rat
11/13/18
(in collaboration with Lisa Martin, PhD, UB Department of Comparative Medicine, Mark Kristal, PhD, UB Department of Psychology, and Jean DiPirro, PhD, Buffalo State College).