# Mechanisms of diet modulating experience-dependent amphetamine preference

> **NIH NIH K01** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $134,010

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Substance use disorder (SUD) is a huge public health problem, with last year being a historical record of drug
overdose deaths in the US, with psychostimulants being the cause of a third of those deaths. Years of addiction
research indicate that both genetic and environmental factors influence SUD development. However, as of today
there are no FDA-approved drugs to treat psychostimulant use disorder. Therefore, new approaches are needed.
Recent studies demonstrate that diet influences mental health, including SUD behaviors: diet influences alcohol
drinking and recovery from SUD among others. Despite the evidence linking diet with SUD, mechanistic insight
into how diet and the gut affect SUD development is missing. My proposal aims to elucidate the molecules and
mechanisms of gut-brain communication that modulate dopaminergic neurons and SUD-related behavior by
taking advantage of the genetic tools, fast generation time and high-throughput economy of scale of Drosophila.
To that end, I have developed a robust, quantitative assay that shows flies develop experience-dependent
amphetamine preference. I propose to identify gut to brain signaling pathways as well as dietary components
that alter dopaminergic signaling and amphetamine preference. This proposal leverages my previous knowledge
in Drosophila behavior and will provide training in SUD-related behaviors. Carrying out the career plan outlined
will enable me to achieve my long-term career goal: to become an independent investigator with a research
program focused on the role of diet as a risk factor and possible treatment for SUD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11244217
- **Project number:** 7K01DA058919-02
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Iris Titos Vivancos
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $134,010
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 2024-04-01 → 2027-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11244217

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11244217, Mechanisms of diet modulating experience-dependent amphetamine preference (7K01DA058919-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11244217. Licensed CC0.

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