Départment des
Neurosciences Fondamentales
& Service de Neurologie
CMU 1, rue Michel Servet
1211-4 - Genève
Switzerland

022.379.54.50 //54.23
022.379.54.52
christian.luscher@unige.ch

Job opportunities

Our lab is interested in the mechanism that underlie addiction, one of the most costly disease of modern societies. We focus on how drugs activate the mesolimbic dopamine system and early forms of adaptations that lead to the loss of control in vulnerable individuals. To this end two lines of research have been developed in parallel; first westudy the role of Kir3 channels, which are effectors of GPCR-coupled drugs such as opioids or the club drug gamma-hydroxy butyrate. The second interest deals with drug-evoked synaptic plasticity, inparticular cocaine. In fact already hours after a first exposure, excitatory afferents onto dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area are potentiated, which is the first step in a cascade eventually leading to compulsive behavior through pathological learning. We use in vitro and in vivo electrophysiology and behavior models in genetically modified mice.

Engblom D, Bilbao A, Sanchis-Segura C, Dahan L, Perreau-Lenz S, Balland B, Rodriguez Parkitna J, Lujan R, Halbout B, Mameli M, Parlato R, Sprengel R, Lüscher C, Schütz G. & Spanagel R. Glutamate receptors on dopamine neurons control the persistence of cocaine-seeking. Neuron, 59:497-508, 2008 IF

Labouebe G, Lomazzi M, Cruz HG, Luján R, Li M, Yanagawa Y, ObataK, Watanabe M, Wickman K, Slesinger P. & Lüscher C. RGS2 modulates GABAB receptor-GIRK channel coupling in dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area, Nat Neurosci, 10:1559-68, 2007

Mameli M, Balland B, Luján R. & Lüscher C. Rapid synthesis and synaptic insertion of GluR2 for mGluR-LTD expression in the ventral tegmental area, Science 317:530-3, 2007

Bellone C. & Lüscher C. mGluRs induce a long-term depression in the ventral tegmental area that involves a switch of the subunit composition of AMPA receptors, Nat Neurosci, 9:636-41, 2006.

Cruz HG, Ivanova T, Lunn, ML, Stoffel M, Slesinger P & Lüscher C. Bi-directional effects of GABAB receptor agonists on the mesolimbic dopamine system, Nat Neurosci, 7:153-159, 2004.