Joyce Besheer

Dr. Joyce Besheer is a Professor and Associate Director at the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies within the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. Her research program focuses on understanding the neural mechanisms underlying alcohol use disorders and drug addiction, with particular emphasis on how stress impacts drinking behavior and sensitivity to alcohol-related cues.

Dr. Besheer's research interests center on the neurobiological adaptations that occur following stress exposure and how these changes influence alcohol consumption and relapse. She investigates glutamatergic systems and cortical and limbic brain circuitry, examining how stress affects sensitivity to both external environmental cues and internal interoceptive effects of alcohol. Her work also explores neural circuitry underlying alcohol's interoceptive effects and low-dose alcohol molecular targets, along with collaborations examining neuroimmune system activation, neurosteroids' role in drinking regulation, and novel therapeutic targets for alcohol use disorder.

Analysis of Dr. Besheer's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on the intersection of stress, neural circuitry, and alcohol use disorder. Her work spans multiple disciplines including neuroscience, pharmacology, and behavioral psychology, with particular emphasis on glutamatergic transmission, interoception, and neuroimmune mechanisms. The publications demonstrate progression from basic mechanisms to potential therapeutic applications, with increasing focus on specific receptor systems and neural circuits involved in alcohol use disorder.

Dr. Besheer leads the Besheer Lab at UNC Chapel Hill, where her team conducts preclinical research examining the lasting effects of stress on neurobiological adaptations and their impact on alcohol consumption patterns. Her work has significant implications for understanding how stressful episodes or trauma can promote excessive drinking and maladaptive drinking patterns in humans, with the ultimate goal of identifying novel targets for therapeutic treatment of drug and alcohol addiction.