The Flagel lab studies the genetic, environmental and neurobiological factors that contribute to individual differences in reward learning and susceptibility to mental illness, including addiction. Specifically, they focus on the psychological mechanisms that underlie and influence appetitive Pavlovian learning and the neural circuitry involved in these processes.

Their ultimate goal is to identify novel pharmacological targets for the treatment of addiction and other mental illnesses.

The lab combines behavioral, pharmacological, molecular and chemogenetic tools to better understand the genetic, environmental, and neurobiological factors that contribute to an individual’s responsiveness to rewards and susceptibility to mental illness.