The Role of Ovarian Hormones on Stimulant-Mediated Pertubations of Dopamine Transmission

Substances of abuse have significant effects on dopamine transmission in the Nucleus Accumbens, a critical brain region involved in the induction and maintenance of addiction. Dopamine in the nucleus accumbens is regulated by both release and clearance, two separate mechanisms which can tightly control the amount of dopamine present and the length of time dopamine persists within the synaptic space. These mechanisms are affected by drugs of abuse, especially stimulant medications. Amphetamine and methylphenidate, two drugs which are commonly prescribed for ADHD, are among the medications which are commonly abused and which manipulate dopamine transmission in the nucleus accumbens. We can measure how stimulant medications affect dopamine by using animal models. This talk will explore mechanisms of dopamine transmission, how stimulant medication uses these mechanisms to increase dopamine, animal models of dopamine investigation, and how ovarian hormone cycles affect dopamine regulation within the nucleus accumbens.

Holmgren Bio

Dr. Holmgren is an addiction neurobiologist with a keen interest in the underlying mechanisms of addiction development and maintenance. She received her PhD from LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, working with Dr. Tiffany Wills on the effects of adolescent alcohol exposure and stress induced-reinstatement across sex. She is currently an NIH funded postdoctoral fellow working with Dr. Erin Calipari on sex differences in nucleus accumbens dopamine signaling, and how drugs of abuse differentially affect this neurotransmission. She hopes to continue to investigate sexually dimorphic addiction mechanisms to shed light on potentially druggable targets for future treatment.

 

EDUCATION

PhD, Dept of Cell Biology and Anatomy – Focus: Neurobiology Jan 2023

LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana

B.S., Behavioral Neuroscience May 2014

Centre College, Danville, Kentucky

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Postdoctoral Scholar March 2023-Current

Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Dept of Pharmacology

Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Advisor: Dr. Erin Calipari

Research Focus: Sex differences in nicotine addiction and hormonal regulation of

acetylcholine-mediated dopamine release in the Nucleus Accumbens

Skills: Data analysis; oral presentations; project management; manuscript planning, writing, and

editing; training undergraduate and graduate students.

Techniques: Slice voltammetry; optical imaging; stereotaxic surgery; chemogenetic behavioral

manipulation; in vivo biosensor recordings; pharmacology manipulation

Graduate Student

Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy Jan 2018 – Jan 2023

LSUHSC, New Orleans, Louisiana

Advisor: Dr. Tiffany Wills

Research Focus: BNST Plasticity after adolescent alcohol exposure and adult stress across sex

Skills: Data analysis; oral presentations; training undergraduate and graduate students.

Techniques: Mouse handling; injection techniques; alcohol vapor chamber; mouse perfusion; brain

harvesting, dissection, and slicing; microscopy; whole cell and field electrophysiology recordings.

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Dept. of Behavioral Neuroscience August 2013 – May 2014

Centre College, Danville, Kentucky

Advisor: Dr. Melissa Burns Cusato

Research Focus: Neurobiology of Avian Pair Bonds in Ring Neck Dove.

Skills: Data analysis; oral presentations (Kentucky Academy of Science: November 9, 2013; National

Conference on Undergraduate Research: April 4, 2014); aviary colony maintenance.

August 2024

Techniques: Bird handling and injection techniques; conditioned place preference paradigm; behavioral

scoring.

Membership in Professional Organizations:

Association for Women in Science (AWIS), Southern Louisiana Chapter, 2018 – 2022

Student Member

Research Society for Alcoholism (RSA), Postdoctoral Member 2018 – 2024

Society for Neuroscience (SfN), Student Member 2021 – 2023

Organization for the Study of Sex Differences (OSSD), Postdoctoral Member 2023- Current

TEACHING EXPERIENCE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

Course Lectures

Vanderbilt University School of Nursing

Neuroscience for Mental Health Practitioners [7221]

-Neuroscience of Addiction Lecture March, 2024

LSUHSC-NO, New Orleans, Louisiana

Course Tutoring

Neuroanatomy [ANAT 6533/PHTH 7140] Fall 2020, 2021

-Student Evaluations:

● “A strength was the neuroanatomy tutor Eleanor, she did not get enough credit of how she

was always helpful and PREPARED. I truly would not have understood the topics as much

without her help.” -Fall 2020

● “I started off not doing well on the first two exams getting a 65 and 63. In the PT

department we can only get so many credit hours of Cs in classes, and I really didn’t have

any hope for finishing this class with anything above a C. I started coming to tutoring at the

beginning of test 3 material and ended up with an 83 on the exam! I only needed to get an

86 on this last exam to achieve a B in the course and not end up on academic probation.

Thanks to you, I got a 91! …” -Fall 2021

MANUSCRIPTS

1. Carzoli KL, Sharfman NM, Lerner MR, Miller MC, Holmgren EB and Wills TA (2019) Regulation of NMDA

Receptor Plasticity in the BNST Following Adolescent Alcohol Exposure. Front. Cell. Neurosci. 13:440.

doi: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00440.

2. Kasten, CR, Holmgren, EB, & Wills, TA (2019). Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Subtype 5 in

Alcohol-Induced Negative Affect. Brain sciences, 9(8), 183. doi:10.3390/brainsci9080183

3. Kasten CR, Carzoli KL, Sharfman NM, Henderson TH, Holmgren EB, Lerner MR, Miller MC, & Wills TA

(2020) Adolescent Alcohol Exposure Produces Sex Differences in Negative Affect-Like Behavior and

Group 1 mGluR BNST Plasticity. Neuropsychopharmacol. doi.org/10.1038/s41386-020-0670-7.

4. Kasten, CR*, Holmgren, EB*, Lerner, MR, & Wills, TA. (2021). BNST specific mGlu5 receptor knockdown

regulates sex-dependent expression of negative affect produced by adolescent ethanol exposure and

August 2024

adult stress. Translational psychiatry, 11(1), 178. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01285-y

(*Co-first Author)

5. Belmonte, KCD, Holmgren, EB, Wills, TA, & Gidday, JM. (2022). Epigenetic conditioning induces

intergenerational resilience to dementia in a mouse model of vascular cognitive impairment.

Alzheimer’s & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, 18(10), 1711–1720.

https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12616

6. Secci, ME, Kelley, LK, Avegno, EM, Holmgren, EB, Chen, L, Rein, SL, Engi, SA, Quinlan, V, Wilson, L,

Gilpin, NW, & Wills, TA (2023). Adolescent alcohol exposure produces sex-specific long-term

hyperalgesia via changes in central amygdala circuit function. Biological psychiatry,

S0006-3223(23)01566-4. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.09.006

BOOK CHAPTERS

1. Holmgren, E. B., & Wills, T. A. (2021). Regulation of glutamate signaling in the extended amygdala by

adolescent alcohol exposure. International review of neurobiology, 160, 223–250.

https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.irn.2021.08.004

POSTERS/ABSTRACTS

Holmgren, E.B., Carzoli, K., Kasten, C., Sharfman, N., Wills, T. Alcohol and Stress Induced Plasticity in the BNST.

Graduate Research Day, New Orleans, LA, November 2018

Holmgren, E.B., Carzoli, K., Kasten, C., Sharfman, N., Wills, T. The effects of adolescent ethanol exposure and

stress on bed nucleus of the stria terminalis plasticity. Greater New Orleans Society for Neuroscience

December Meeting, New Orleans, LA, December 2018

Holmgren, E.B., Kasten, C., Carzoli, K., Cancienne, H., Wills, T. Adolescent intermittent vapor exposure

produces withdrawal-induced anxiety and altered excitatory transmission in the BNST. Research Society on

Alcoholism Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, June 2019

Wills TA, Kasten CR, Holmgren EB, Carzoli KL. Adolescent alcohol exposure produces sex differences in BNST

plasticity following adult stress. Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, October 2019

Holmgren, E.B., Kasten, C., Carzoli, K., Litchfield, B., Palliser, L., Cancienne, H., Wills, T. Adolescent Ethanol

Exposure Alters Excitatory Transmission and CRF Signaling in the BNST. Poster and 3MT Presentation. Graduate

Research Day, New Orleans, LA, November 2019

M.E. Secci, L.K. Kelley, E.B. Holmgren, C.R. Kasten, N.W. Gilpin, & T.A. Wills. Effects Of Adolescent Alcohol

Exposure On Nociception & Amygdala Neurotransmission. Gordon Research Conference on Alcohol and the

Nervous System, Galveston, TX, March 2020

EB Holmgren, CR Kasten, KL Carzoli, BA Litchfield, LM Palliser, HL Cancienne, TA Wills. Adolescent Ethanol

Exposure Alters Excitatory Transmission and CRF Signaling in the BNST. Gordon Research Seminar/Conference

on Alcohol and the Nervous System, Galveston, TX, March 2020, Won Best Poster Award

EB Holmgren, CR Kasten, TA Wills. Adolescent Ethanol Exposure Causes Prolonged Changes to Excitatory

Transmission and CRF signaling in the BNST. Poster and Presentation. Graduate Research Day, New Orleans, LA,

November 2020

August 2024

KCD Belmonte, EB Holmgren, TA Wills, JM Gidday. Inducing Intergenerational Resilience To Vascular Cognitive

Impairment By Repetitive Hypoxic Conditioning. Poster and Presentation. Graduate Research Day, New

Orleans, LA, November 2020

EB Holmgren, CR Kasten, L Chen, BA Litchfield, LM Palliser, TA Wills. Interactions of Adolescent Alcohol

Exposure and Stress on BNST CRF Signaling Across Sex. Research Society on Alcoholism Annual Meeting,

Virtual, June 2021.

EB Holmgren, JM Lacey, CR Kasten, L Chen, BA Litchfield, LM Palliser, TA Wills. Investigation Of Adolescent

Alcohol Exposure Interactions with Stress On BNST CRF Signaling Across Sex. Virtual Poster Talk. Society for

Neuroscience 2021, Virtual; LSUHSC Graduate Research Day, New Orleans, LA, November 2021.

EB Holmgren, OR Brunke, CR Kasten, L Chen, BA Litchfield, LM Palliser, TA Wills. Adolescent Alcohol and Stress

Exposure Results in Altered BNST CRF Signaling Between Sex. Research Society on Alcoholism Annual Meeting,

June 2022

INVITED TALKS/SEMINAR PRESENTATIONS

1. Ethics: Bias in Science. Department of Physiology Seminar, Louisiana State University Health Sciences

Center, New Orleans, LA, January 2019.

2. Adolescent Ethanol Produces Withdrawal-Induced Anxiety and Alters Excitatory Transmission in the

BNST. Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence Meeting. New Orleans, LA, May 2019.

3. Adolescent Ethanol Exposure Alters Excitatory Transmission and CRF Signaling in the BNST. Alcohol and

Drug Abuse Center of Excellence Meeting. New Orleans, LA, December 2019.

4. Interactions of Adolescent Alcohol Exposure and Stress on BNST CRF Signaling Across Sex. Department

of Cell Biology and Anatomy Seminar. LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, December 2020.

5. BNST Group 1 mGluRs Regulate Sex Differences in Alcohol and Stress Interactions. 44th Annual RSA

Scientific Meeting /ISBRA Congress. Virtual Meeting. June 2021.

6. Effects Of Adolescence Alcohol Exposure and Stress on Excitatory Transmission in The BNST.

Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy Seminar. LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA,

October 2021.

7. Effects Of Adolescence Alcohol Exposure and Stress on Excitatory Transmission in The BNST. D’Angelo

Neuroscience Mental Health Journal Club, LSUHSC & Tulane University, Virtual, New Orleans, LA,

November 2021.

8. Investigation of Adolescent Alcohol Exposure Interactions with Stress on BNST CRF Signaling Across Sex.

Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence Meeting. Virtual, New Orleans, LA, December 2021. Won

Best Trainee Presentation

9. The Role of Ovarian Hormone Cycles on Stimulant Effects on the Dopamine System. Organization for

the Study of Sex Differences Annual Meeting 2024. Bergen, Norway, May 2024.

AWARDS

Best Poster Award, Gordon Research Conference on Alcohol, Galveston, TX, March 2020

Best Trainee Presentation, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence Meeting, Virtual, December 2021

Top Recorded Talk, Graduate Research Day, LSU Health Sciences Center- New Orleans, November 2022

August 2024

RESEARCH SUPPORT

NIH Institutional Predoctoral Training Grant, NIAAA August 2018 – August 2022

Biomedical Alcohol Research Training Program (T32-AA007577), Dr. Patricia Molina

Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Individual NRSA, NIDA April 2024 – Current

The Role of Ovarian Hormones in Regulating Dopamine Acetylcholine Interactions in the Nucleus Accumbens

(F32-DA060663), PI Eleanor B Holmgren

SERVICE AND OUTREACH

Panel Discussant, First Year IGP Forum, Keeping Up with the Literature, Vanderbilt University October, 2023

Discussant, Summer Research Program, Responsible Conduct of Research course, LSUHSC June 2021

Mentor, School of Graduate Studies New Student Ambassador, LSUHSC August 2018, 2019, 2020

Volunteer, Girl Scouts Believe in Girls, SELA-AWIS September 2018, 2019

Mentor, Sci-Fly Speed Mentoring Event, LSUHSC July 2018, 2019

Moderator, Alcohol and Drugs of Abuse Center of Excellence Biannual Retreat, LSUHSC December 2018

Orientation Assistant, Freshman Orientation, Centre College Summer 2013, 2012, 2011

MENTEES

Benjamin Litchfield, Tulane University Undergraduate August 2018- March 2020

Logan Palliser, Tulane University Undergraduate August 2018- March 2020

Isabel Katz, Tulane University Masters Student August 2020-June 2021

Olivia Brunke, Tulane University Undergraduate August 2020- December 2022

Sydney Rein, Tulane University Undergraduate August 2020- December 2022

Alicia Garcia-Rivas, Vanderbilt University START Undergraduate June 2024-Current