Research group Translational neuroscience

Aims

1. We aim to understand the interaction between serotonin and dopamine in drug addiction, specifically the motives to use drugs
2. We aim to test the hypothesis that memory serves as a mechanism underlying the comorbidity between cocaine addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder
3. We aim to elucidate how maternal serotonergic genotype affects offspring development in the context of stress-related and neurodevelopment disorders
4. We aim to determine the role of the gut-brain axis in the individual differences in response to serotonergic antidepressant drugs
5. We aim to improve animal housing and testing and the monitoring of their well-being
6. We study the brain mechanisms underlying environmental sensitivity / sensory processing sensitivity

Achievements

• Behavioral traits and resting-state brain connectivity

  We found that baseline behavioral traits and resting-state brain connectivity moderates response to specific pharmacotherapies reducing alcohol seeking and taking.

• Antibioticum minocycline interferes with memories

  We found that the antibioticum minocycline interferes with the reconsolidating of cocaine-induced memories and to a lesser extent with trauma-induced memories.

• Serotonergic maternal genotype affects offspring

  We found that serotonergic maternal genotype affects offspring brain and behavioural development through altered function of the placenta and changes in maternal care.

• Human to rat fecal transfer

  We have a human to rat fecal microbiota transfer pipeline working.

• Social Ratpad

  We have developed social Ratpad, a homecage system for cognitive testing in rats. We are developing a large enriched homecage for rats allowing automated welfare monitoring. We are also developing a tool to measure the vocalizations of rodents in their homecage to assess their wellbeing.

Publications

See the publication list of the research group leader on Web of Science.

• A selection of our publications

  • Precision medicine in substance use disorders: Integrating behavioral, environmental, and biological insights. Guerrin CGJ, Tesselaar DRM, Booij J, Schellekens AFA, Homberg JR. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2025;176:106311.
  • Quantifying multilabeled brain cells in the whole prefrontal cortex reveals reduced inhibitory and a subtype of excitatory neuronal marker expression in serotonin transporter knockout rats. Guo CC, Xu Y, Shan L, Foka K, Memoli S, Mulveen C, Gijsbrechts B, Verheij MM, Homberg JR. Cereb Cortex. 2025;35(2):bhae486.
  • Serotonin transporter knockout in rats reduces beta- and gamma-band functional connectivity between the orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala during auditory discrimination. Boillot M, Ter Horst J, López JR, Di Fazio I, Steens ILM, Cohen MX, Homberg JR. Cereb Cortex. 2024; 34(8):bhae334.
  • Individuals being high in their sensitivity to the environment: Are sensitive period changes in play? Homberg JR, Brivio P, Greven CU, Calabrese F. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2024;159:105605.
  • Individual differences in GHB consumption in a new voluntary GHB self-administration model in outbred rats. Wolf CJH, Spoelder M, Beurmanjer H, Bulthuis R, Schellekens AFA, Homberg JR. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2024;241(3):613-625
  • Estimating foraging behavior in rodents using a modified paradigm measuring threat imminence dynamics. Meng X, Chen P, Veltien A, Palavra T, In't Veld S, Grandjean J, Homberg JR. Neurobiol Stress. 2023; 28:100585.
  • Responsivity of serotonin transporter knockout rats to short and long access to cocaine: Modulation of the glutamate signalling in the nucleus accumbens shell. Caffino L, Mottarlini F, Targa G, Verheij MMM, Fumagalli F, Homberg JR. Br J Pharmacol. 2022; 179(14):3727-3739
  • The continued need for animals to advance brain research. Homberg JR, [...] Genzel L. Neuron. 2021;109(15):2374-2379. 
  • Median and Dorsal Raphe Serotonergic Neurons Control Moderate Versus Compulsive Cocaine Intake. Verheij MMM, Contet C, Karel P, Latour J, van der Doelen RHA, Geenen B, van Hulten JA, Meyer F, Kozicz T, George O, Koob GF, Homberg JR. Biol Psychiatry. 2018; 83(12):1024-1035. 
  • The association between serotonin transporter availability and the neural correlates of fear bradycardia. Schipper P, Hiemstra M, Bosch K, Nieuwenhuis D, Adinolfi A, Glotzbach S, Borghans B, Lopresto D, Fernández G, Klumpers F, Hermans EJ, Roelofs K, Henckens MJAG, Homberg JR. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Dec 17;116(51):25941-25947.