Neuroscientists need to do better at explaining basic mental health research
The Transmitter, 2025
A significant knowledge gap exists between neuroscientific discoveries and their application in healthcare, policy, and public understanding. While decades of basic research have proven that addiction and mental health conditions are driven by complex biological changes in brain circuits and gene expression, this information often remains siloed within the scientific community. To bridge this divide, neuroscientists should become better communicators and advocates. Learn more here.
Alcohol and drugs rewire your brain by changing how your genes work
The Conversation, 2024
Substances like alcohol and drugs cause long-term addiction by fundamentally rewiring the brain’s reward and memory circuits through epigenetic changes. These substances alter how genes are expressed—specifically by changing how DNA is packaged and translated into proteins—without changing the genetic code itself. Because these molecular modifications are dynamic and potentially reversible, researchers are now exploring how lifestyle interventions like exercise and meditation, as well as targeted medications, might "reset" the brain to help people overcome addiction.
Scientific Sense: Addiction and the brain
Dr. Karla Kaun explains how her research on fruit flies reveals the specific genetic and molecular pathways that alcohol hijacks to rewire brain circuits. She describes addiction as a pathological memory where substances physically alter how DNA is expressed, shifting the brain's priority toward cravings and away from natural rewards. Because these epigenetic changes are dynamic, her work suggests that identifying these conserved biological "switches" could lead to new treatments that effectively reset the addicted brain.
Tribe Sober: A symphony of sobriety
Dr. Karla Kaun discusses how addiction acts as a disorder of memory, where substances like alcohol hijack neural circuits to prioritize drug-seeking over natural rewards. Kaun explains that long-term alcohol use creates lasting epigenetic changes and sensory triggers, like the sound of a cork popping, that reinforce cravings even after the chemical is gone. She offers a hopeful orchestra"analogy, suggesting that while addiction puts the brain out of tune, neuroplasticity and healthy lifestyle changes allow individuals to rewire their circuits and create a new symphony in sobriety.
Can we train our brains to avoid addiction?
Dr. Karla Kaun explains how alcohol addiction functions as a "disorder of memory" by hijacking the brain's reward circuits and physically altering gene expression. She emphasizes that because these molecular changes are dynamic rather than permanent, identifying the specific genetic "switches" involved can lead to more effective treatments and lifestyle interventions for recovery.
What can drunk fruit flies tell us about addiction?
Dr. Karla Kaun explains how her lab uses fruit flies to map the specific neural circuits and genetic switches, such as the Notch signaling pathway, that alcohol hijacks to create persistent memories of intoxication. She describes addiction as a disorder where substances physically rewire the brain’s reward center, causing it to prioritize the drug over natural survival behaviors. By identifying these conserved molecular mechanisms, her research aims to discover new therapeutic targets that can dim the intensity of cravings and help patients reclaim cognitive control.
Taking a Shot at Understanding the Neural and Molecular Mechanisms of Alcohol Addiction
Dr. Karla Kaun shares her personal journey from remote northern Canadian towns to becoming a leading neuroscientist, highlighting how early experiences with addiction in her community fueled her career. She discusses her lab's use of fruit flies to map the molecular switches alcohol hijacks, emphasizing that addiction is a biological disorder of memory that can potentially be treated by targeting these specific genetic pathways.