Marek Schwendt

Dr. Marek Schwendt is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Florida, within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on drug addiction neurobiology, particularly the role of mGluR5 glutamate receptors in behavioral and cognitive deficits associated with substance use disorders. He employs rodent models to study drug self-administration, cognitive performance tasks, and pharmacological interventions.

Key collaborative projects include investigating mGluR5 dysregulation in cocaine relapse vulnerability, comorbid PTSD and addiction models, and dopamine-glutamate interactions in decision-making. Dr. Schwendt teaches courses such as Neurochemistry, Pharmacology and Behavior and Neurobiology of Drug Addiction.

His lab explores neuroadaptations using techniques like receptor immunostaining, in vivo manipulations, and ex-vivo protein analysis. He has advised graduate students including Christina Gobin and John Shallcross. Over 40 peer-reviewed publications reflect his work on addiction mechanisms, stress-affected neurobiology, and translational drug development.