News & Press

News & Press

Summaries of our new papers, lab news, and coverage of our research in the press.

• 
  September 2026 News

  The George Lab website has a new home

  The lab website has been rebuilt from the ground up. News, press coverage, and new papers will be posted here.

• 
  June 2026 New Publication

  Is Vulnerability to Cocaine Written in Our Genes?

  Cocaine use disorder is one of the most stubborn problems in addiction medicine. Roughly 1.4 million Americans meet the criteria for it, and after decades of research there is still not a single FDA-approved medication to treat it. We have known for a long time that genetics plays a role. Twin studi…

• 
  March 2026 New Publication

  Why We Need to Stop Ignoring Females in Addiction Research

  For decades, a frustrating pattern has played out in addiction neuroscience: females were basically ignored, not even included in the studies. Then, thanks to the NIH SABV mandates almost exactly 10 years ago, researchers all over the country started including females. This shift has led to intrigui…

• 
  January 2026 New Publication

  Predicting Addiction: Could Your Initial Response to Painkillers Reveal Your Future Risk?

  We’ve all heard stories about the opioid crisis, but one of the biggest mysteries remains: why can two people take the same dose of a painkiller, yet only one of them ends up struggling with addiction? While we know that individual risk varies wildly, identifying why one person transitions to depend…

• 
  January 2026 New Publication

  Bridging the Gap: Why Promising Lab Results for Alcohol Treatment Sometimes Fail in Humans

  We are constantly searching for new ways to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD), a condition that affects millions of people and leads to significant health and economic costs. Recently, a type of drug called a PPAR-alpha agonist showed great promise in animal studies, significantly reducing alcohol co…

• 
  January 2026 New Publication

  Choosing to Drink: How Voluntary Alcohol Exposure Changes the Brain

  When we study alcohol addiction, we often look at how the brain responds after long periods of heavy use. For years, the standard way to study this in the lab was through 'forced' exposure, where subjects are passively given alcohol to reach high levels in their bloodstream. However, we recently dev…

• 
  January 2026 New Publication

  Cracking the Molecular Code of Opioid Addiction: From Humans to Rodents

  Opioid use disorder (OUD) has grown into a severe global health emergency, yet long term abstinence remains an elusive goal for many. One major reason is that chronic opioid use leaves lasting marks on the brain that persist long after someone stops using. In our latest study, we used advanced genet…

• 
  January 2026 New Publication

  Decoding Addiction: How Cocaine Changes the Amygdala at the Single-Cell Level

  Drug addiction is a complex struggle that involves powerful memories and intense emotions. While we know the brain’s reward system is involved, we are still learning how specific cells within the brain's emotional center, the amygdala , change during addiction. In our recent study with the Telese la…

• 
  January 2026 New Publication

  Fighting Smoking with Science: Evolving a Nicotine-Eating Enzyme

  Smoking remains a massive global health crisis, causing one in ten deaths worldwide. While many people want to quit, the intense grip of nicotine addiction makes it incredibly difficult, with roughly 80% of attempts ending in relapse. In our latest study with the Bardwell lab at HHMI, we used the po…

• 
  January 2026 New Publication

  High-Tech Tracking on a Budget: How We Revolutionized Large-Scale Addiction Research

  In the world of neuroscience, observing how behavior changes over time is a cornerstone of understanding the brain. Whether we are studying addiction, learning, or social interaction, capturing every movement of a subject can reveal patterns that the human eye might miss. However, setting up a high-…

• 
  January 2026 New Publication

  Nicotine and the Brain: Why 'Vaping' Might Lead to Snacking

  We often hear that nicotine is a powerful appetite suppressant. This is why many long term smokers find it difficult to quit, fearing the weight gain that often follows. However, our recent study has uncovered a fascinating paradox: while nicotine might help keep weight off in the long run, an acute…

• 
  January 2026 New Publication

  Nicotine and Hunger: Why Smoking Actually Makes You Want to Eat

  We often think of nicotine as something that kills your appetite. While it is true that long term smoking can lead to weight loss, some people find that they actually feel a strange surge of hunger right after a cigarette. In our recent study, we explored this 'paradoxical hunger' and discovered tha…

• 
  January 2026 New Publication

  Redefining the Addictive Personality: One Core Vulnerability, Many Behaviors

  When we look at addiction, we often wonder if different behaviors like taking more of a drug over time, working harder to get it, or continuing to use it despite bad consequences are separate problems or part of one bigger issue. For a long time, researchers treated these as independent traits. Howe…

• 
  January 2026 New Publication

  Searching for a 'Blood Print' of Opioid Use: A New Look at Oxycodone

  The ongoing opioid crisis remains a critical public health emergency, and understanding how these drugs change the body is vital for developing better diagnostics and treatments. While we know much about how opioids affect the brain, their impact on the rest of the body, specifically the chemicals c…

• 
  January 2026 New Publication

  Stress, Social Defeat, and the Cycle of Nicotine Addiction

  In our latest review paper, we explore the deep biological links between stress and nicotine addiction. This work is especially meaningful as it is dedicated to the honor of Dr. Klaus Miczek, a true pioneer in the field who recently passed away. I personally loved interacting with him, and his groun…

• 
  January 2026 New Publication

  The Epigenetic Impact of Cocaine: How Abstinence Rewires the Brain

  Cocaine use disorder is a major public health crisis with significant social and economic costs, yet there are currently no FDA-approved medications to treat it. While genetics certainly play a role in addiction, they do not tell the whole story. In our recent study, we explored the 'missing heritab…

• 
  January 2026 New Publication

  The Gut-Brain Connection: How Microbes Shape the Urge to Seek Cocaine

  Cocaine use disorder is a devastating public health crisis, yet we currently have no FDA approved medications to help people maintain long term recovery. One of the greatest challenges in treating addiction is preventing relapse, which often occurs after long periods of being clean. In our recent st…

• 
  January 2026 New Publication

  Understanding Cocaine Escalation: It’s All About 'Incentive Salience'

  Why do some people become addicted to cocaine more quickly than others? For decades, scientists have debated whether addiction is driven by sensitization of the psychomotor effect of the drug (getting a bigger effect of the drug over time), sensitization of the motivational effects of the cues (ince…

• 
  January 2026 New Publication

  Understanding Oxycodone Addiction: How Genetics and Sex Shape Behavior

  The opioid epidemic remains a critical public health crisis, fueled in part by the widespread prescription of medications like oxycodone. While these drugs are effective for pain, they carry a high risk for addiction and dangerous side effects like respiratory depression. In our recent study with th…

• 
  January 2026 New Publication

  Why Men and Women Experience Cocaine Differently: A New Look at the Brain

  When we talk about drug addiction, we often focus on behavior or the chemistry of 'feeling good.' But beneath the surface, there is a complex battle happening in the brain’s immune system. Interestingly, this battle doesn’t look the same for everyone. For years, we have noticed that men and women fa…

• 
  January 2026 New Publication

  Why Opioids Mess With Your Body Clock: A Sex-Specific Story

  Sleep and circadian rhythm disruptions are some of the most common and frustrating symptoms of opioid use disorder. Many people in recovery struggle with insomnia or find that their internal biological clock is completely out of sync. In our latest study in collaboration tithe the Logan lab, we look…

In the press

52 articles, broadcasts, and institutional news stories covering the lab's research since 2007.

2026

• May 15 The BrainPod podcast (Springer Nature) “Incentive salience, not psychomotor sensitization or tolerance, drives escalation of cocaine self-administration in heterogeneous stock rats”

2023

• Oct 5 UC San Diego Today “Cellular Atlas of Amygdala Reveals New Treatment Target for Cocaine Addiction”
• Feb 28 Scripps Research “$10 million grant funds Scripps Research Alcohol Research Center through its 50th year”
• Jan 24 UC San Diego Today “Pharming the Microbiome”

2022

• Feb 23 UC San Diego Today “UC San Diego Receives $12.4M NIH Grant to Map the Human Nervous System”

2019

• May 6 The New Daily “Cheers everybody! Scientists cure alcoholism in rats with 'flip of a switch'”
• Mar 25 Niznik Behavioral Health “Scientists Locate Alcohol Cravings Center in the Brain”
• Mar 22 Science Alert “Scientists Have Cured Alcoholic Rats by Shooting Lasers at Their Brains”
• Mar 22 RT “'Flip of a switch': Scientists 'cure' alcoholism in rats by firing lasers at their brains”
• Mar 21 Digital Trends “Scientists have a way to turn off alcoholism: Blasting the brain with lasers”
• Mar 20 Mathrubhumi “A brain circuit can help reverse craving for liquor”
• Mar 19 Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News “Alcohol Dependency Curbed by Reversibly Inhibiting Specific Neurons”
• Mar 19 ABC10 News “Scientists find brain circuit responsible for alcohol cravings”
• Mar 19 News-Medical “Scientists reverse alcohol-seeking behavior in rats with flip of a switch”
• Mar 19 Wiley Analytical Science “Scientists Hunt Down the Brain Circuit Responsible for Alcohol Cravings”
• Mar 18 ScienceDaily “Scientists hunt down the brain circuit responsible for alcohol cravings”
• Mar 18 Environmental News Network “Scientists Hunt Down the Brain Circuit Responsible for Alcohol Cravings”
• Mar 18 4rfv.com “Scientists hunt down the brain circuit responsible for alcohol cravings”
• Jan 3 Practical Pain Management “Deep Brain Stimulation for Heroin Addiction: Possible New Treatment”

2018

• Oct 17 Newsweek “Quit smoking enzyme stops nicotine addiction in rats without withdrawal symptoms”
• Oct 17 HealthDay “Scientists Closer to Drug That Cuts Nicotine Dependence”
• Oct 17 Medical Xpress “Engineered enzyme eliminates nicotine addiction in preclinical tests”
• Jun 27 Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News “Novel Alcoholism Treatment Modulates GPCR Activation, May Lessen Withdrawal Symptoms”
• Jun 26 U.S. News & World Report “Scientists Discover Brain Receptor that Blocks Alcohol Addiction, Eases Withdrawal”
• Apr 9 KPBS “What Happens To The Brain When It Becomes Addicted”

2017

• Oct 6 NIDA Notes Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus blocks compulsive-like re-escalation of heroin taking in rats
• Feb 21 ASAM Weekly Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus blocks compulsive-like re-escalation of heroin taking in rats
• Feb 2 Digital Trends “Early trials suggest deep brain stimulation can significantly reduce heroin addiction”

2016

• Sep 10 Medical News Today “We can completely reverse alcohol dependence”
• Sep 7 Live Science “Alcohol Dependence Can Be Reversed, Rat Study Suggests”
• Sep 6 Medical Xpress “Scientists reverse alcohol dependence in animal models”
• Sep 6 Science Codex “TSRI scientists reverse alcohol dependence in animal models”

2015

• Apr 15 Business Standard “Smoking may promote alcohol dependence: study”
• Science News “Nicotine exposure escalates rats' desire for alcohol”

2014

• Nov 22 San Diego Union-Tribune “Nicotine addiction linked to neuron”

2013

• Dec Addiction Inbox Addiction in the spotlight at Neuroscience 2013
• Mar 29 Wired UK “Addiction injection: the mission to immunize drug users against dependency”

2012

• Oct 22 HuffPost “Binge drinking: United States' habits prompt study on daily versus binge drinking”
• Oct 16 The Times of India Heavy drinking and the prefrontal cortex in rats
• Oct 15 Daily Mail “Binge drinking can harm brains within months and turn social drinkers into alcohol abusers”
• Oct 15 Business Insider “It only takes a few months of binge drinking to destroy your brain”
• Oct 15 Scripps Research Press release: binge drinking and prefrontal cortex dysfunction

2008

• Mar 23 ABC News “Rat study gets at root of nicotine addiction”

2007

• Oct 3 The Washington Post “Rat study gets at root of nicotine addiction”
• Oct 3 U.S. News & World Report “Rat study gets at root of nicotine addiction”
• Oct 3 Forbes “Rat study gets at root of nicotine addiction”
• Oct 3 Yahoo News “Rat study gets at root of nicotine addiction”
• Oct 3 WomensHealth.gov “Rat study gets at root of nicotine addiction”
• Oct 3 HealthDay “Rat study gets at root of nicotine addiction”
• Oct 2 The Economic Times Nicotine withdrawal effects in rats
• Oct 1 MedicineNet “Rat study gets at root of nicotine addiction”
• Oct 1 RxPG News “Scripps research study reveals mechanism behind nicotine dependency”

External reviews of our work

Independent commentaries and recommendations on the lab's papers by other scientists.

• 2026

  Escalation of cocaine consumption: tolerance versus sensitization of incentive salience

  Akwa A, Robinson TE · Neuropsychopharmacology 51:1139–1140

  On: Ramborger J, et al. Incentive salience, not psychomotor sensitization or tolerance, drives escalation of cocaine self-administration in heterogeneous stock rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2026.

• 2020

  Susceptibility to opioid use disorder

  Weaver J · PNAS highlight

  On: Kallupi M, et al. Nociceptin attenuates the escalation of oxycodone self-administration by normalizing CeA-GABA transmission in highly addicted rats. PNAS 2020;117(4):2140–2148.

• 2018

  Identification of a novel molecular target for alcohol dependence

  Carney RSE · eNeuro Research Highlight 5(4)

  On: Kononoff J, et al. Activation of the orphan receptor GPR139 reverses escalation of alcohol self-administration selectively in alcohol dependent rats with high compulsive-like drinking. eNeuro 2018.

• 2016

  Faculty Opinions recommendation

  Evans C · Faculty Opinions

  On: Koob GF, et al. Addiction as a stress surfeit disorder. Neuropharmacology 2014;76:370–382.

• 2016

  Faculty Opinions recommendation

  Taché Y · Faculty Opinions

  On: Pomrenze MB, et al. A transgenic rat for investigating the anatomy and function of corticotrophin releasing factor circuits. Front Neurosci 2015;9:487.

• 2015

  Faculty Opinions recommendation

  Russo S, Ables J · Faculty Opinions

  On: Zhao-Shea R, et al. Increased CRF signalling in a ventral tegmental area-interpeduncular nucleus-medial habenula circuit induces anxiety during nicotine withdrawal. Nat Commun 2015;6:6770.

• 2015

  Want to stop drinking? Don't smoke

  Dubovsky S · NEJM Journal Watch

  On: Leão RM, et al. Chronic nicotine activates stress/reward-related brain regions and facilitates the transition to compulsive alcohol drinking. J Neurosci 2015;35(15):6241–6253.

• 2013

  Faculty Opinions recommendation

  Spanagel R, Sommer W · Faculty Opinions

  On: George O, et al. Recruitment of medial prefrontal cortex neurons during alcohol withdrawal predicts cognitive impairment and excessive alcohol drinking. PNAS 2012;109(44):18156–18161.

• 2012

  Shifting pharmacology of nicotine use and withdrawal: breaking the cycle of drug abuse

  Sesia T, Grace AA · PNAS 109(8):2697–2698

  On: Grieder TE, et al. Phasic D1 and tonic D2 dopamine signaling double dissociate the motivational effects of acute nicotine and chronic nicotine withdrawal. PNAS 2012;109(8):3101–3106.

• 2007

  A neurobiological basis for nicotine withdrawal

  Grunberg N · PNAS 104(46):17901–17902

  On: George O, et al. CRF-CRF1 system activation mediates withdrawal-induced increases in nicotine self-administration in nicotine-dependent rats. PNAS 2007;104(43):17198–17203.

Exhibitions, film & podcasts