Nicholas J. Grahame

Nicholas J. Grahame serves as Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies for Psychology at Indiana University, conducting pioneering research on the behavioral genetics of alcohol seeking behavior and neural circuit mechanisms underlying gene-environment interactions in addiction. His work utilizes animal models to identify behavioral markers and translate findings into improved alcoholism treatments.

Education:

• B.A. from Vassar College (1987)
• M.A. from State University of New York at Binghamton (1990)
• Ph.D. in Biopsychology from State University of New York at Binghamton (1992)

Dr. Grahame's research program centers on Behavioral and Addiction Neuroscience, specifically investigating how genetic variations influence susceptibility to alcohol use disorders through neural circuit analysis. His laboratory employs sophisticated behavioral paradigms to dissect the biological mechanisms driving alcohol-seeking behavior, with direct implications for developing targeted pharmacotherapies.

He maintains active affiliations with the Indiana Alcohol Research Center and Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, leveraging institutional resources for collaborative studies. Dr. Grahame is currently accepting new graduate students for Fall 2022, mentoring the next generation of addiction neuroscience researchers through hands-on laboratory training and academic guidance.

His laboratory operations focus on translational approaches to addiction science, integrating behavioral phenotyping with neurobiological assessments to bridge basic research findings with clinical applications for alcoholism treatment.