Dr. Birdsong is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology. Dr. Birdsong’s research is focused on understanding the cellular and circuit-level adaptations that drive the development of tolerance to opioids.
The Birdsong Lab uses electrophysiology, pharmacology, optogenetics and imaging to study how and where opioids act in brain circuits important for pain and reward. Our aim is to understand how chronic pain and chronic opioid use drive adaptations in brain circuit function with the goal of preventing or reversing these adaptations and improve strategies for treating pain and substance use disorders.