Nestler Lab

Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry

Integrating Molecular, Cellular, Systems, and Behavioral Neuroscience

Committed to Diversity and Inclusion

Research

The goal of our research is to better understand the molecular mechanisms of addiction and depression. We use animal models of these disorders to identify the ways in which long-term exposure to drugs of abuse or stress changes the brain to lead to addiction- or depression-like syndromes. A major focus of our work is on drug- and stress-induced changes in gene expression and chromatin structure within the brain’s reward circuitry, and the mechanisms by which those lasting adaptations alter neuronal and circuit function to produce behavioral abnormalities.

Nestler Laboratory Profile on PlumX

Nestler Laboratory

Eric Nestler, MD, PhD

Nash Family Professor of Neuroscience
Director, The Friedman Brain Institute
Dean for Academic and Scientific Affairs

Location
Lab: ICAHN 10-26 | Office: ICAHN 10-23a
Phone
Office: 212.659.5996
Lab: 212.659.5938
Lab fax: 212.659.1559
Admin Fax: 212.659.8510
Email

Publications

Google Scholar

Grants & Support

National Institute on Drug Abuse

National Institute of Mental Health

Conte Translational Neuroscience Center on Depression

Program Project Grant on the Molecular Neurobiology of Drug Addiction

Hope for Depression Foundation

Featured Publications

Convergent abnormalities in striatal gene networks in human cocaine use disorder and mouse cocaine administration models

PHILIPP MEWS, ASHLEY M. CUNNINGHAM, JOSEPH SCARPA, AARTHI RAMAKRISHNAN, EMILY M. HICKS, SARAH BOLNICK, SUSANNA GARAMSZEGI, LI SHEN, DEBORAH C. MASH, AND ERIC J. NESTLER

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Transcriptional control of nucleus accumbens neuronal excitability by retinoid X receptor alpha tunes sensitivity to drug rewards

Arthur Godino, Marine Salery, Romain Durand-de Cuttoli, Molly S. Estill, Leanne M. Holt, Rita Futamura, Caleb J. Browne, Philipp Mews, Peter J. Hamilton, Rachael L. Neve, Li Shen, Scott J. Russo, Eric J. Nestler

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The long noncoding RNA FEDORA is a cell type– and sex-specific regulator of depression

ORNA ISSLER, YENTL Y. VAN DER ZEE, AARTHI RAMAKRISHNAN, SUNHUI XIA, ALEXANDER K. ZINSMAIER, CHUNFENG TAN, WEI LI, CALEB J. BROWN, DEENA M. WALKER, MARINE SALERY, ANGÉLICA TORRES-BERRÍO, RITA FUTAMURA, JULIA E. DUFFY, BENOIT LABONTE, MATTHEW J. GIRGENTI, CAROL A. TAMMINGA, JEFFREY L. DUPREE, YAN DONG, JAMES W. MURROUGH, LI SHEN, AND ERIC J. NESTLER

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Shadow “SfN” Abstracts Summer/Fall 2020

Browne • Cunningham • Godino • Holt • Martinez-Rivera • Mews • Parise • Salery • Teague • Torres-Berrio • van der Zee • Yeh • Yim

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Sex-Specific Role for the Long Non-coding RNA LINC00473 in Depression

Orna Issler, Yentl Y. van der Zee, Aarthi Ramakrishnan, Junshi Wang, Chunfeng Tan, Yong-Hwee E. Loh, Immanuel Purushothaman, Deena M. Walker, Zachary S. Lorsch, Peter J. Hamilton, Catherine J. Peña, Erin Flaherty, Brigham J. Hartley, Angélica Torres-Berrío, Eric M. Parise, Hope Kronman, Julia E. Duffy, Molly S. Estill, Erin S. Calipari, Benoit Labonté, Rachael L. Neve, Carol A. Tamminga, Kristen J. Brennand, Yan Dong, Li Shen, Eric J. Nestler

Neuron April 17, 2020

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Alcohol metabolism contributes to brain histone acetylation.

Mews P, Egervari G, Nativio R, Sidoli S, Donahue G, Lombroso SI, Alexander DC, Riesche SL, Heller EA, Nestler EJ, Garcia BA, Berger SL.

Nature. 2019 Oct 23. doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1700-7. [Epub ahead of print]

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Paternal transgenerational epigenetic mechanisms mediating stress phenotypes of offspring.

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Epigenetic Mechanisms of Opioid Addiction.

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Stress resilience is promoted by a Zfp189-driven transcriptional network in prefrontal cortex

Zachary Lorsch et al.

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Nature Neuroscience 19 August 2019

Role of Mesolimbic Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Depression.

Koo JW, Chaudhury D, Han MH, Nestler EJ.
Biol Psychiatry. 2019 Nov 15;86(10):738-748. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.05.020. Epub 2019 Jun 4. Review.

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Epigenetics and addiction.

Hamilton PJ, Nestler EJ.
Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2019 Jun 27;59:128-136. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2019.05.005. [Epub ahead of print] Review.

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Personal reflections on a mentor extraordinaire: Paul Greengard, Ph.D. (1925-2019).

Nestler EJ.
Neuropsychopharmacology. 2019 Sep;44(10):1837-1838. doi: 10.1038/s41386-019-0433-5. Epub 2019 Jun 13. No abstract available.

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Biology and Bias in Cell Type-Specific RNAseq of Nucleus Accumbens Medium Spiny Neurons.

Kronman H, Richter F, Labonté B, Chandra R, Zhao S, Hoffman G, Lobo MK, Schadt EE, Nestler EJ.
Sci Rep. 2019 Jun 6;9(1):8350. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-44798-9.

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Synaptic Microtubule-Associated Protein EB3 and SRC Phosphorylation Mediate Structural and Behavioral Adaptations During Withdrawal From Cocaine Self-Administration.

Calipari ES, Godino A, Salery M, Damez-Werno DM, Cahill ME, Werner CT, Gancarz AM, Peck EG, Jlayer Z, Rabkin J, Landry JA, Smith ACW, Defilippi P, Kenny PJ, Hurd YL, Neve RL, Dietz DM, Nestler EJ.
J Neurosci. 2019 Jul 17;39(29):5634-5646. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0024-19.2019. Epub 2019 May 15.

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