PhD
Associate Professor
Location:
UNC Hospitals – Chapel Hill
Education and Training:
B.S., Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
MS, Biopsychology and Behavioral Neurosciences, Rutgers
PhD, Biopsychology and Behavioral Neurosciences, Rutgers
Summary Statement:
Dr. Knapp’s research interests focus on adaptive neural processes in the brain as reflected in molecular and behavioral indices following chronic exposure to alcohol, stress, and/or cytokines, and other select pharmacological agents. Much work has employed a repeated ethanol exposure and withdrawal paradigm in rodent models to examine the contribution of different neurotransmitter systems to the progressive worsening of alcohol withdrawal (e.g., sensitization or “kindling’ of anxiety-like behavior) that is unique to cycled, as opposed to continuous, ethanol exposure and withdrawal. Dr. Knapp and colleagues have found that selective repeated stress exposures interact with future chronic ethanol exposure to increase anxiety-like behavior and to render animals vulnerable to future stress or ethanol. They have also found that pharmacological agents for corticotrophin releasing factor, benzodiazepine, or 5-HT2C receptors can strongly influence this sensitization process as do select cytokines. Comparable studies with adolescent rats are examining the impact of cycled stress, withdrawal, and select pharmacological treatments on this sensitization process. Work on the novel contributions of cytokine systems to these effects of alcohol has revealed chronic ethanol effects mediated through proinflammatory peptides. Collaborative efforts have also focused on the interactions of other peptide systems, including NPY and the melanocortin system in alcohol preference and related behaviors. Current work is being extended to assess optogenetic regulation of neural systems controlling chronic ethanol effects and anesthesia. Current prominent collaborations include work with Drs. Fulton Crews and George Breese (Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology) and Dr. Garret Stuber (Department of Psychiatry).
