Our goal is to understand how the brain controls motivated behaviors, and how maladaptive
changes in brain circuits relate to neuropsychiatric diseases such as addiction and depression

ElectroPhysiology

Circuit Mapping

OptoGenetics & Imaging

Behavior

Research

Recent Publications

More Publications

Rebound bursting selectively enables fast dynamics in dopamine midbrain neurons projecting to the dorso-lateral striatum

Stojanovic S, Knowlton CJ, Egger-Mackrodt R, Mankel J, Shin J, Lammel S, Canavier CC, Roeper J (2025). Journal of Neuroscience

Changes in neurotensin signalling drive hedonic devaluation in obesity

Gazit Shimoni N, Tose AJ, Seng C, Jin Y, Lukacsovich T, Yang H, Verharen JPH, Liu C, Tanios M, Hu E, Read J, Tang LW, Lim BK, Tian L, Földy S, Lammel S (2025). Nature 64, 1238-1247

Dopamine D1 receptor activation in the striatum is sufficient to drive reinforcement of anteceding cortical patterns

Vendrell-Llopis N, Read J, Boggiano S, Hetzler B, Peitsinis Z, Stanley C, Visel M, Trauner D, Donthamsetti P, Carmena C, Lammel S, Isacoff EY (2025). Neuron 113, 1–10

State and rate-of-change encoding in parallel mesoaccumbal dopamine pathways

de Jong JW, Liang Y, Verharen JPH, Fraser KM, Lammel S (2024). Nature Neuroscience 27, 309-318

Head-mounted central venous access during optical recordings and manipulations of neural activity in mice

Liu C, Freeman DJ, Lammel S (2023). Nature Protocols 19, 960-983

Dopamine release and negative valence gated by inhibitory neurons in the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus

Du Y, Zhou S, Ma C, Chen H, Du A, Deng G, Liu Y, Tose AJ, Sun L, Liu Y, Wu H, Lou H, Yu Y, Zhao T, Lammel S, Duan S, Yang H (2023). Neuron 111, 3102-3118.e7

Recent News

We welcome new undergraduate researchers Lyna Wais, Steven Wang & Theodosya Tawfik!

Stephan is awarded the 2025 Rennie Fund for the Study of Epilepsy Read More >

Odilia wins NINDS Early-Career Rigor Champions Prize! Congrats, Odilia! Read More >

We welcome 2 new undergraduate researchers: Kate Yang & Saanvi Ganesh!

Watch Stephan and Neta in KCRA 3 news speaking about our latest research! Read More >

Press release from UC Berkeley on our latest research! Read More >

Upcoming Events

Han is presenting at COSYNE 2025 Read More >

We are presenting at SfN2024! Read More >

Amanda, Neta, Jeroen & Han will be presenting posters at the Optogenetics GRC! Read More >

Stephan’s tenure talk at UC Berkeley! Please contact Stephan for a zoom link if you like to attend the seminar!

Neurobiology Seminar at USC Read More >

AARG Neuroscience Seminar at UCSF Read More >

Christine (Oct 19, PM, #X11) and Han (Oct 23, PM, #U38) will be presenting posters at SfN in Chicago! Also, do not miss Christine’s Art of Neuroscience Exhibition!

Han is presenting at a SfN Minisymposium! Read More >

GRC Catecholamines Read More >

CSH Asia: Francis Crick Symposium-Transforming Neurosciences: Questions & Experiments Read More >

Visit our posters at SfN2018 in the Sunday morning session: #KK2-KK4 Read More >

Stephan will present a research seminar at CERVO in Quebec City Read More >

Molecular Psychiatry Meeting: Stephan will chair a session on “New Molecular and Circuit-Level Approaches for Understanding the Effects of Chronic Stress in the Mammalian Brain”. Great speakers: G. Stuber, C. Liston, M. Mameli Read More >

Stephan, Ignas, Daniel & Han will be presenting their work at the Optogenetics GRC! Read More >

Stephan will give a research seminar at the Department of Physiology at Northwestern University Read More >

Please join us for a Special Research Seminar with Dr. Jochen Roeper: “Dopamine Diversity: Tasks, Projections & Channels” Read More >

Winter Brain Conference: Han will present his poster “Neural Circuit Mechanisms Underlying Drug-Induced Changes in Motivated Behaviors” on Jan 18 @ 3:30pm and Stephan will present in the session “Striatum Subregions and Motivated Behavior” on Jan 19 @ 7:30am Read More >

Stephan will be presenting at the ACNP meeting in Palm Springs (Dec. 3-7, 2017). Don’t miss his poster “Nucleus Accumbens Subnuclei Regulate Motivated Behavior via Direct Inhibition and Disinhibition of VTA Dopamine Subpopulations” on Dec. 5 5:30-7:30pm (Board# T267).

Hongbin and Han will be presenting at SfN in Washington on Monday Nov. 13, 2017 (PM session). Board# WW34 and WW40! Also, do not miss Christine’s 2017 Art of Neuroscience Exhibition!

Stephan will be presenting in the “Synaptic Integration Seminar Series” at NIH in Bethesda on Tuesday Oct. 21, 2017 (11AM-12PM). The title of his talk is “Neural Circuit Mechanisms Underlying Motivated Behaviors”.