Joseph F. Cheer, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine with a secondary appointment in Psychiatry. He serves as the CARTI Basic Science Research Training Track Leader and directs multiple NIH and private foundation-funded projects focused on neurophysiological and neurochemical aspects of endogenous cannabinoid signaling in intact systems. His educational background includes: B.S. in Biology from Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia (1996) Ph.D. in Neuroscience from University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK (2000) Postdoctoral training at Wake Forest University (2000-2002) Postdoctoral training at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (2002-2006) Cheer's research primarily investigates the physiological function of the endogenous cannabinoid system, particularly its role in motivated behaviors and potential therapeutic applications in pathological states like addiction. His work employs state-of-the-art electrophysiological (ensemble recordings) and electrochemical (fast-scan cyclic voltammetry) techniques to extract neurobiological correlates of behavior in real-time. His laboratory examines how endogenous cannabinoids modulate the encoding of motivated behavior, with specific interest in the dopaminergic projection from the ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals consistent focus on endocannabinoid-dopamine interactions in reward processing, addiction mechanisms, and neurodevelopmental effects of cannabinoid exposure. His work spans from basic mechanisms of neurotransmitter release to translational studies in animal models of psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders including Huntington's disease, depression, and schizophrenia. His significant scientific achievements include: Acceptance into the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (2014) Multiple featured articles in high-impact journals including Nature Neuroscience (2019) Faculty of 1000 recognition for several publications Multiple plenary and keynote speaking engagements at major conferences Several prestigious mentoring awards including GPILS/OPS Postdoctoral Mentor Award (2017) and STAR-PREP Excellence in Mentoring Award (2018) Cheer has successfully secured multiple NIH grants as Principal Investigator, including five major R01 awards totaling over a decade of continuous funding. His research program has successfully recruited and mentored numerous tenure-track faculty members and has established collaborations across multiple institutions. His laboratory serves as a training ground for postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduates interested in neuroscience research. His research group, the Cheer Lab, employs a comprehensive suite of neuroscience techniques including fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, ensemble single-unit recordings, optogenetics, chemogenetics, and calcium imaging to investigate endocannabinoid-dopamine interactions in real-time during behavior.
