Brian Mathur

Brian Mathur, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. His research focuses on Systems Neuroscience, particularly investigating neural circuit form and function in health and alcohol use disorder. He also holds a secondary appointment in Psychiatry and leads the Mathur Lab (mathurlab.org).

Dr. Mathur's research explores the role of the claustrum in cognitive control, striatal circuits in addictive behaviors, and neurovascular coupling mechanisms. His work integrates molecular genetics, electrophysiology, and optogenetics to study ethanol's effects on synaptic inhibition, dopamine signaling, and cortical-subcortical networks.

Recent publications highlight his expertise in claustrum-cortical interactions (2025), chronic alcohol effects on striatal interneurons (2023), and neurovascular plasticity (2024). His NIH grants R01AA028070 and R01AA024845 fund research into alcohol-related neural circuit disruptions.

Key research themes:

• Claustrum's role in perception, memory, and attention
• Striatal microcircuits in addiction and reward processing
• Endocannabinoid and dopamine interactions
• Chronic alcohol effects on synaptic plasticity
• Neurovascular coupling in cognitive function