WFUWake Forest University · Neuroscience
The Gut-Brain Nexus Lab
Drew Kiraly · Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Research Focus
Drew Kiraly's lab at Wake Forest University focuses on understanding how the gut microbiome influences cocaine addiction and relapse. They study how changes in gut bacteria can alter brain function and behavior, particularly in relation to drug-seeking behavior after abstinence. By exploring the connections between gut health and addiction, the lab aims to develop new strategies for treating substance use disorders.
gut microbiomecocaine addictionsubstance use disorderbehavioral assaysgene expressionepigeneticsdrug relapseanimal models
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate how microbiome depletion affects cocaine seeking behaviors during different phases of abstinence.
AIM 02Analyze the molecular changes in the brain related to synaptic plasticity after microbiome alteration.
AIM 03Identify specific bacteria associated with increased drug-seeking behavior.
AIM 04Examine the role of microbiome-derived small molecules in behavioral and genetic changes.
AIM 05Establish mechanistic insights into gut-brain signaling in cocaine use disorder.
Skills the Lab Values
RNA sequencinganimal behavior analysismicrobiome manipulationmolecular analysischromatin structure assessmentbehavioral assaysdata analysisbiostatisticsin vivo studies
Output against the department
Publications73bottom 20% of dept.534th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations3.3kbottom 25% of dept.500th of 671
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.