Day wins NIH early-stage investigator award

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jeremy dayJeremy Day, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurobiology, is one of six recipients of inaugural awards from the National Institute on Drug Abuse given to early-stage investigators who propose highly innovative studies in epigenetics, an emerging field that studies the ways environmental factors influence changes in gene expression without altering the DNA sequence.

Day says his proposal examines exposure to drugs of abuse, which produce long-lasting changes in neuronal circuits that control learning and decision-making.

“This project will investigate the role of epigenetic mechanisms in these changes, providing insight into the molecular basis by which these mechanisms contribute to drug addiction,” Day said. “We will use these insights to develop new tools that target specific epigenetic processes in the brain, which will lead to more effective epigenetics-based treatment and prevention strategies for drug addiction and improve quality of life for addicted individuals.”

“The innovative proposals by these young scientists in the fields of HIV/AIDS and epigenetics are very exciting,” said NIDA Director Nora D. Volkow, M.D. “We’re pleased to support these creative approaches and are looking forward to seeing the results of their research.”