Clara Xu, PhD
Department of Physiology
Clara is a postdoctoral trainee in the lab of Lynette C Daws. Clara has received excellent training in the Mortensen lab where she gained skills in molecular biology and in vitro assays including DNA mutagenesis, DNA & RNA purification, western blotting, biotinylation, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA), high performance liquid chromatography, fluorescent staining, cell culture, microscopy and tritiated ligand uptake assays. She also acquired skills in conditioned place preference (CPP), open field activity, stereotaxic surgery and intracerebroventricular delivery of virus in rats. Her research focused largely on structure/function studies of a dopamine transporter allosteric modulator and its analogs, and on the impact of these modulators on cocaine-induced locomotion and CPP in rats. A key feature of her postdoctoral training will be the expansion of her intellectual and analytical tool-belt to include study of organic cation transporters in the actions of amphetamine-type stimulants and to use in vivo electrochemical approaches to measure monoamine release and clearance in mice.
RESEARCH AREAS
- Locomotor Activity
- Dopamine Transporters
- Stimulants
BIOGRAPHY
During my doctoral training with Dr. Ole Mortensen at Drexel University, I investigated allosteric modulators of the dopamine transporter (DAT) and their effects on cocaine-induced behaviors, integrating molecular assays (e.g., site-directed mutagenesis, kinetic uptake) with rodent behavioral models (conditioned place preference, locomotor activity). This experience strengthened my expertise in both transporter pharmacology and translational behavioral neuroscience. I was deeply engaged in the development of potential therapies for cocaine use disorders, and after discussions with Dr. Daws about her findings on organic cation transporter 3 (OCT3), I recognized that her research project could not only deepen my understanding of how reward is regulated in the brain, but also allow me to leverage my existing skills and knowledge of reward circuits in a new and exciting direction.