Alana Conti

Dr. Alana Conti is a Professor of Psychiatry at Wayne State University School of Medicine. She leads the Conti Laboratory, which focuses on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of ethanol action and traumatic brain injury. Her research has significant implications for understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and developing treatments for alcohol-related neural damage.

Dr. Conti's research interests span multiple areas of neuroscience and pharmacology. Her laboratory primarily investigates:

• Ethanol action at the cellular level and signaling pathways mediating synaptic responses to ethanol
• Behavioral outcomes following ethanol exposure in adult and juvenile brains
• The role of adenylyl cyclase 1 and 8 in neuronal survival following ethanol treatment
• Development of in vitro models for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
• Cellular mechanisms regulating ethanol sensitivity after traumatic brain injury

Dr. Conti's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on the intersection of alcohol research and traumatic brain injury. Her work particularly examines how adenylyl cyclases 1 and 8 influence ethanol-related behaviors and neural responses. Much of her research utilizes mouse models to understand these complex neural mechanisms at molecular, cellular, and behavioral levels.

Scientific recognition for Dr. Conti's work includes:

• Thematic Research Support Seed Grant for studying TBI (awarded jointly with Dr. Woodcock)

As an educator, Dr. Conti teaches Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology and Research Seminar courses. Her laboratory utilizes various research methods including Molecular Biology, Immunohistochemistry, Primary Neuronal Cultures, and Behavioral Animal Models. She collaborates with researchers including Don Kuhn, Scott Bowen, Tiffany Mathews, Shane Perrine, and John Hannigan.

The Conti Laboratory maintains an active research program studying mechanisms of opioid action in the traumatically-injured brain. They use animal models of TBI to identify how combined exposure to brain injury and morphine affect pain behavior and targets of opioid action in the brain, including opioid receptor signaling and neuroinflammation.