University of Florida · PsychologyPolysubstance Use Research Lab
Lori A Knackstedt · Gainesville, Florida
Research Focus
Dr. Lori A. Knackstedt's lab at the University of Florida focuses on understanding the effects of combining opioid and alcohol use, known as polysubstance use. This research is particularly important because it looks at how this combination worsens cognitive functions and health outcomes. By studying human behavior and creating rodent models, the lab aims to uncover the underlying mechanisms that lead to addiction and impaired cognition, which could help develop better treatments and interventions for substance use disorders.
opioid usealcohol usepolysubstance usecognitionaddictionneurobehavioral consequencesrodent modelssubstance use disorders
Research Aims
5AIM 01Assess patterns of opioid and alcohol use in humans over time.
AIM 02Investigate the cognitive consequences of opioid-alcohol polysubstance use.
AIM 03Develop rodent models based on human polysubstance use patterns.
AIM 04Evaluate the pharmacokinetics of opioids and alcohol in the context of polysubstance use.
AIM 05Identify potential therapeutic interventions for addressing cognitive impairments caused by polysubstance use.
Skills the Lab Values
cognitive assessmentsrodent behavioral taskssubstance self-administrationdata collectionexperimental designneurobiological modelingstatistical analysispsychological testingdrug pharmacokinetics
Output against the department
Publications105bottom 28% of dept.214th of 296
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations3.9kbottom 37% of dept.187th of 296
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.