Hi there!
My name is Jessi Cucinello-Ragland, and I am a newly-minted PhD currently investigating pain and addiction as a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Jose Moron-Concepcion. My love for research began at the University of Mississippi, where I spent two years doing pain research as an undergraduate in the lab of Ken Sufka. My research then expanded to include pain-substance use interactions during my time as a graduate student at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans. During my time as an NRSA F31-funded predoctoral fellow the laboratory of Scott Edwards, I investigated the anti-nociceptive effects of acute alcohol and identified sex-specific contributions of the endocannabinoid system.
In the Moron-Concepcion Lab, my research is focussed on the underlying neurobiology involved in the intersection of chronic pain, opioid use disorder, and alcohol use. Specifically, I am interested in the role of the frontocortical endogenous opioid receptor system in regulating alcohol effects on fentanyl-seeking behavior in the context of persistent inflammatory pain in mice. Using a combination of behavioral, molecular, pharmacological, and viral approaches, I aim to uncover sex-dependent contributions of endogenous opioids in alcohol-opioid interactions. The ultimate goal of this research is to identify novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of polysubstance use in people with chronic pain.
When not in the lab, I enjoy spending time with my family, lazy days with my cats, and testing out new recipes in the kitchen.
My name is Jessi Cucinello-Ragland, and I am a newly-minted PhD currently investigating pain and addiction as a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Jose Moron-Concepcion. My love for research began at the University of Mississippi, where I spent two years doing pain research as an undergraduate in the lab of Ken Sufka. My research then expanded to include pain-substance use interactions during my time as a graduate student at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans. During my time as an NRSA F31-funded predoctoral fellow the laboratory of Scott Edwards, I investigated the anti-nociceptive effects of acute alcohol and identified sex-specific contributions of the endocannabinoid system.
In the Moron-Concepcion Lab, my research is focussed on the underlying neurobiology involved in the intersection of chronic pain, opioid use disorder, and alcohol use. Specifically, I am interested in the role of the frontocortical endogenous opioid receptor system in regulating alcohol effects on fentanyl-seeking behavior in the context of persistent inflammatory pain in mice. Using a combination of behavioral, molecular, pharmacological, and viral approaches, I aim to uncover sex-dependent contributions of endogenous opioids in alcohol-opioid interactions. The ultimate goal of this research is to identify novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of polysubstance use in people with chronic pain.
When not in the lab, I enjoy spending time with my family, lazy days with my cats, and testing out new recipes in the kitchen.
Publications
Cucinello-Ragland JA, Mitchell-Cleveland R, Trimble WB, Urbina AP, Yeh AY, Edwards KN, Molina PE, Simon Peter L, Edwards S
Chapter One - Neurobiological aspects of pain in the context of alcohol use disorder
Jessica A. Cucinello-Ragland, Scott Edwards
International Review of Neurobiology, Erin S. Calipari, Nicholas W. Gilpin, Neurobiology of Addiction and Co-Morbid Disorders, pp. 1-29
Edwards S, Callicoatte CN, Barattini AE, Cucinello-Ragland JA, Melain A, Edwards KN, Gilpin NW, Pahng AR
Neuropharmacology
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