About
Our laboratory is on the beautiful campus of Washington & Lee University in the idyllic Shenandoa Valley.
Our work combines nutrition science and neuroscience to elucidate individual vulnerabilities to addiction and to reduce cravings and relapse to drug taking in those in recovery from substance use disorder.
We are working on several projects including:
Developing an evidence-based Recovery Nutrition regime that will reduce cravings and relapse, and increase ones chances of staying in recovery. We have found several nutrients that, when supplemented in the diet, can start to repair and restore normal levels of glutamate and dopamine, dopamine transporters, and dopamine neurons in the brain.
We are investigating how various nutrient deficiencies can impact vulnerability to substance use disorder and are working to elucidate the mechanisms in the brain which cause these vulnerabilities.
Recent work of others is starting to emerge that indicates a greater role of serotonin in regulating various aspects of the nervous system that can impact addiction vulnerability. We are working to review the literature of the last 10 years to centralize, summarize, and disseminate that new knowledge to others.
