Dr. Drew will begin studying the basic neurochemistry of the brains of teleosts. She will be exploring the regional distribution of the neurotransmitters dopamine and gammaminobutyric acid (GABA). Dopamine and GABA play an important role in motivation and motor function in mammals. Release of dopamine in mammalian forebrain is thought to mediate the reinforcing properties of drug abuse. GABA is thought to relay and modulate dopaminergic messages. She will also be investigating what mechanisms regulate the release of these chemical messengers. Dr. Drew will be utilizing a newly developed, state of the art technique called in vivo microdialysis to measure neurotransmitter release in awake freely moving teleost. In vivo microdialysis has been used successfully in warm blooded vertebrates to address previously unanswered questions regarding neurotransmitter release. Dr. Drew's experiments are the first to employ the technique in the study of neurotransmitter release in cold blooded vertebrates. Although Dr. Drew's current research is aimed primarily at establishing the feasibility of the technique, it is envisioned that in the future in vivo microdialysis will be used to study neurotransmitter release during migration and rapid deterioration of teleosts as they journey upstream to spawn. Such studies would also contribute significantly to the understanding of the role that dopamine and GABA play in the initiation and maintenance of compulsive behavior exhibited in some humans.//
