Richard Allen

Richard Allen is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Colorado Denver, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on psychopharmacology and behavioral neuroscience, particularly substance abuse mechanisms using rodent models.

Dr. Allen's work examines neurobiological mechanisms of addiction through pharmacological manipulations, exploring how substances like cocaine and ethanol affect behavior and neural pathways. His research employs sophisticated behavioral paradigms to understand individual differences in addiction vulnerability.

His publications demonstrate consistent focus on glutamate and dopamine systems in addiction processes, examining topics such as self-administration behaviors, locomotor sensitization, and receptor-specific pharmacological interventions. Research consistently utilizes rat models to investigate neuroadaptations following chronic drug exposure.

Dr. Allen maintains the Behavioral Exercise Neuroscience Lab and teaches courses in behavioral neuroscience within the Psychology Department.