University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus · Biomedical EngineeringAddiction Neurobiology Lab
Rajesh Narendran · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Research Focus
Dr. Rajesh Narendran's lab at the University of Pittsburgh focuses on understanding the interactions between stress, neuropeptides, and addiction. The research aims to uncover how certain brain systems, like the nociceptin opioid peptide receptor system, influence relapse in alcohol and cocaine use disorders. By using advanced imaging techniques, the lab investigates how these systems respond to stress and how they can potentially be targeted for therapeutic interventions in addiction.
nociceptinopioid receptorsalcohol use disordercocaine use disorderstress responserelapsePET imagingdopamine signalingneurotransmitter balance
Research Aims
4AIM 01Investigate how nociceptin receptor activity relates to relapse in heavy drinking individuals.
AIM 02Measure neurochemical changes in response to stress using PET imaging in addiction subjects.
AIM 03Evaluate the effects of hydrocortisone on brain receptor binding in alcohol and cocaine users.
AIM 04Determine the relationship between stress-induced NOP receptor changes and relapse timing in cocaine use disorder.
Skills the Lab Values
PET imagingneurochemical analysisintravenous administration techniquesbiostatisticsclinical trial designcorticosterone measurementdopamine release assessmentbehavioral psychology methodsneuropeptide signaling studies
Output against the department
Publications105bottom 19% of dept.483rd of 595
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations4.1kbottom 32% of dept.405th of 595
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.