Susan Ferguson, PhD

Personal Statement

The overall goal of my research program is to use a multi-level approach, combining molecular biology, anatomy, genetics and behavioral neuroscience, to understand the role of cortico-basal ganglia circuitry in the development of behaviors that are associated with drug reward and addiction, as well as in the processes that underlie decision-making, motivation and impulsivity.

To accomplish these goals, my laboratory employs a novel chemical-genetic approach that uses viral vectors to express artificial, engineered G-protein coupled receptors (known as DREADD receptors) in discrete neuronal cell populations in rodents. Activation of DREADD receptors by the otherwise inert synthetic ligand clozapine-N-Oxide will lead to transient alterations in neuronal activity (either increasing or decreasing cell function depending on which G-protein coupled DREADD receptor is expressed) of the targeted cell populations. This neuronal modulation can be paired with specific phases of the behaviors that we study, including psychostimulant-induced behavioral sensitization, drug self-administration and operant learning tasks, in order to parse out the neural circuitry that contributes to behaviors associated with addiction and other neuropsychiatric disorders.

Department Affiliations

Scholarly Expertise

Recent Publications

Prospective, early longitudinal assessment of lymphedema-related quality of life among patients with locally advanced breast cancer: The foundation for building a patient-centered screening program.
(2023 Apr)
Breast 68(): 205-215
Gandhi A, Xu T, DeSnyder SM, Smith GL, Lin R, Barcenas CH, Stauder MC, Hoffman KE, Strom EA, Ferguson S, Smith BD, Woodward WA, Perkins GH, Mitchell MP, Garner D, Goodman CR, Aldrich M, Travis M, Lilly S, Bedrosian I, Shaitelman SF

A Conditioned Place Preference for Heroin Is Signaled by Increased Dopamine and Direct Pathway Activity and Decreased Indirect Pathway Activity in the Nucleus Accumbens.
(2022 Mar 9)
J Neurosci 42(10): 2011-2024
O'Neal TJ, Bernstein MX, MacDougall DJ, Ferguson SM

Chemogenetic modulation reveals distinct roles of the subthalamic nucleus and its afferents in the regulation of locomotor sensitization to amphetamine in rats.
(2022 Feb)
Psychopharmacology (Berl) 239(2): 353-364
Nakata KG, Yin E, Sutlief E, Ferguson SM

Strategies for accelerating the implementation of non-intrusive alcohol detection systems in the vehicle fleet.
(2021)
Traffic Inj Prev 22(1): 13-19
Ferguson SA, Draisin NA

Effect of Hydrocortisone on Mortality and Organ Support in Patients With Severe COVID-19: The REMAP-CAP COVID-19 Corticosteroid Domain Randomized Clinical Trial.
(2020 Oct 6)
JAMA 324(13): 1317-1329
Angus DC, Derde L, Al-Beidh F, Annane D, Arabi Y, Beane A, van Bentum-Puijk W, Berry L, Bhimani Z, Bonten M, Bradbury C, Brunkhorst F, Buxton M, Buzgau A, Cheng AC, de Jong M, Detry M, Estcourt L, Fitzgerald M, Goossens H, Green C, Haniffa R, Higgins AM, Horvat C, Hullegie SJ, Kruger P, Lamontagne F, Lawler PR, Linstrum K, Litton E, Lorenzi E, Marshall J, McAuley D, McGlothin A, McGuinness S, McVerry B, Montgomery S, Mouncey P, Murthy S, Nichol A, Parke R, Parker J, Rowan K, Sanil A, Santos M, Saunders C, Seymour C, Turner A, van de Veerdonk F, Venkatesh B, Zarychanski R, Berry S, Lewis RJ, McArthur C, Webb SA, Gordon AC, Writing Committee for the REMAP-CAP Investigators, Al-Beidh F, Angus D, Annane D, Arabi Y, van Bentum-Puijk W, Berry S, Beane A, Bhimani Z, Bonten M, Bradbury C, Brunkhorst F, Buxton M, Cheng A, De Jong M, Derde L, Estcourt L, Goossens H, Gordon A, Green C, Haniffa R, Lamontagne F, Lawler P, Litton E, Marshall J, McArthur C, McAuley D, McGuinness S, McVerry B, Montgomery S, Mouncey P, Murthy S, Nichol A, Parke R, Rowan K, Seymour C, Turner A, van de Veerdonk F, Webb S, Zarychanski R, Campbell L, Forbes A, Gattas D, Heritier S, Higgins L, Kruger P, Peake S, Presneill J, Seppelt I, Trapani T, Young P, Bagshaw S, Daneman N, Ferguson N, Misak C, Santos M, Hullegie S, Pletz M, Rohde G, Rowan K, Alexander B, Basile K, Girard T, Horvat C, Huang D, Linstrum K, Vates J, Beasley R, Fowler R, McGloughlin S, Morpeth S, Paterson D, Venkatesh B, Uyeki T, Baillie K, Duffy E, Fowler R, Hills T, Orr K, Patanwala A, Tong S, Netea M, Bihari S, Carrier M, Fergusson D, Goligher E, Haidar G, Hunt B, Kumar A, Laffan M, Lawless P, Lother S, McCallum P, Middeldopr S, McQuilten Z, Neal M, Pasi J, Schutgens R, Stanworth S, Turgeon A, Weissman A, Adhikari N, Anstey M, Brant E, de Man A, Lamonagne F, Masse MH, Udy A, Arnold D, Begin P, Charlewood R, Chasse M, Coyne M, Cooper J, Daly J, Gosbell I, Harvala-Simmonds H, Hills T, MacLennan S, Menon D, McDyer J, Pridee N, Roberts D, Shankar-Hari M, Thomas H, Tinmouth A, Triulzi D, Walsh T, Wood E, Calfee C, O’Kane C, Shyamsundar M, Sinha P, Thompson T, Young I, Bihari S, Hodgson C, Laffey J, McAuley D, Orford N, Neto A, Detry M, Fitzgerald M, Lewis R, McGlothlin A, Sanil A, Saunders C, Berry L, Lorenzi E, Miller E, Singh V, Zammit C, van Bentum Puijk W, Bouwman W, Mangindaan Y, Parker L, Peters S, Rietveld I, Raymakers K, Ganpat R, Brillinger N, Markgraf R, Ainscough K, Brickell K, Anjum A, Lane JB, Richards-Belle A, Saull M, Wiley D, Bion J, Connor J, Gates S, Manax V, van der Poll T, Reynolds J, van Beurden M, Effelaar E, Schotsman J, Boyd C, Harland C, Shearer A, Wren J, Clermont G, Garrard W, Kalchthaler K, King A, Ricketts D, Malakoutis S, Marroquin O, Music E, Quinn K, Cate H, Pearson K, Collins J, Hanson J, Williams P, Jackson S, Asghar A, Dyas S, Sutu M, Murphy S, Williamson D, Mguni N, Potter A, Porter D, Goodwin J, Rook C, Harrison S, Williams H, Campbell H, Lomme K, Williamson J, Sheffield J, van’t Hoff W, McCracken P, Young M, Board J, Mart E, Knott C, Smith J, Boschert C, Affleck J, Ramanan M, D’Souza R, Pateman K, Shakih A, Cheung W, Kol M, Wong H, Shah A, Wagh A, Simpson J, Duke G, Chan P, Cartner B, Hunter S, Laver R, Shrestha T, Regli A, Pellicano A, McCullough J, Tallott M, Kumar N, Panwar R, Brinkerhoff G, Koppen C, Cazzola F, Brain M, Mineall S, Fischer R, Biradar V, Soar N, White H, Estensen K, Morrison L, Smith J, Cooper M, Health M, Shehabi Y, Al-Bassam W, Hulley A, Whitehead C, Lowrey J, Gresha R, Walsham J, Meyer J, Harward M, Venz E, Williams P, Kurenda C, Smith K, Smith M, Garcia R, Barge D, Byrne D, Byrne K, Driscoll A, Fortune L, Janin P, Yarad E, Hammond N, Bass F, Ashelford A, Waterson S, Wedd S, McNamara R, Buhr H, Coles J, Schweikert S, Wibrow B, Rauniyar R, Myers E, Fysh E, Dawda A, Mevavala B, Litton E, Ferrier J, Nair P, Buscher H, Reynolds C, Santamaria J, Barbazza L, Homes J, Smith R, Murray L, Brailsford J, Forbes L, Maguire T, Mariappa V, Smith J, Simpson S, Maiden M, Bone A, Horton M, Salerno T, Sterba M, Geng W, Depuydt P, De Waele J, De Bus L, Fierens J, Bracke S, Reeve B, Dechert W, Chassé M, Carrier FM, Boumahni D, Benettaib F, Ghamraoui A, Bellemare D, Cloutier È, Francoeur C, Lamontagne F, D’Aragon F, Carbonneau E, Leblond J, Vazquez-Grande G, Marten N, Wilson M, Albert M, Serri K, Cavayas A, Duplaix M, Williams V, Rochwerg B, Karachi T, Oczkowski S, Centofanti J, Millen T, Duan E, Tsang J, Patterson L, English S, Watpool I, Porteous R, Miezitis S, McIntyre L, Brochard L, Burns K, Sandhu G, Khalid I, Binnie A, Powell E, McMillan A, Luk T, Aref N, Andric Z, Cviljevic S, Đimoti R, Zapalac M, Mirković G, Baršić B, Kutleša M, Kotarski V, Vujaklija Brajković A, Babel J, Sever H, Dragija L, Kušan I, Vaara S, Pettilä L, Heinonen J, Kuitunen A, Karlsson S, Vahtera A, Kiiski H, Ristimäki S, Azaiz A, Charron C, Godement M, Geri G, Vieillard-Baron A, Pourcine F, Monchi M, Luis D, Mercier R, Sagnier A, Verrier N, Caplin C, Siami S, Aparicio C, Vautier S, Jeblaoui A, Fartoukh M, Courtin L, Labbe V, Leparco C, Muller G, Nay MA, Kamel T, Benzekri D, Jacquier S, Mercier E, Chartier D, Salmon C, Dequin P, Schneider F, Morel G, L’Hotellier S, Badie J, Berdaguer FD, Malfroy S, Mezher C, Bourgoin C, Megarbane B, Voicu S, Deye N, Malissin I, Sutterlin L, Guitton C, Darreau C, Landais M, Chudeau N, Robert A, Moine P, Heming N, Maxime V, Bossard I, Nicholier TB, Colin G, Zinzoni V, Maquigneau N, Finn A, Kreß G, Hoff U, Friedrich Hinrichs C, Nee J, Pletz M, Hagel S, Ankert J, Kolanos S, Bloos F, Petros S, Pasieka B, Kunz K, Appelt P, Schütze B, Kluge S, Nierhaus A, Jarczak D, Roedl K, Weismann D, Frey A, Klinikum Neukölln V, Reill L, Distler M, Maselli A, Bélteczki J, Magyar I, Fazekas Á, Kovács S, Szőke V, Szigligeti G, Leszkoven J, Collins D, Breen P, Frohlich S, Whelan R, McNicholas B, Scully M, Casey S, Kernan M, Doran P, O’Dywer M, Smyth M, Hayes L, Hoiting O, Peters M, Rengers E, Evers M, Prinssen A, Bosch Ziekenhuis J, Simons K, Rozendaal W, Polderman F, de Jager P, Moviat M, Paling A, Salet A, Rademaker E, Peters AL, de Jonge E, Wigbers J, Guilder E, Butler M, Cowdrey KA, Newby L, Chen Y, Simmonds C, McConnochie R, Ritzema Carter J, Henderson S, Van Der Heyden K, Mehrtens J, Williams T, Kazemi A, Song R, Lai V, Girijadevi D, Everitt R, Russell R, Hacking D, Buehner U, Williams E, Browne T, Grimwade K, Goodson J, Keet O, Callender O, Martynoga R, Trask K, Butler A, Schischka L, Young C, Lesona E, Olatunji S, Robertson Y, José N, Amaro dos Santos Catorze T, de Lima Pereira TNA, Neves Pessoa LM, Castro Ferreira RM, Pereira Sousa Bastos JM, Aysel Florescu S, Stanciu D, Zaharia MF, Kosa AG, Codreanu D, Marabi Y, Al Qasim E, Moneer Hagazy M, Al Swaidan L, Arishi H, Muñoz-Bermúdez R, Marin-Corral J, Salazar Degracia A, Parrilla Gómez F, Mateo López MI, Rodriguez Fernandez J, Cárcel Fernández S, Carmona Flores R, León López R, de la Fuente Martos C, Allan A, Polgarova P, Farahi N, McWilliam S, Hawcutt D, Rad L, O’Malley L, Whitbread J, Kelsall O, Wild L, Thrush J, Wood H, Austin K, Donnelly A, Kelly M, O’Kane S, McClintock D, Warnock M, Johnston P, Gallagher LJ, Mc Goldrick C, Mc Master M, Strzelecka A, Jha R, Kalogirou M, Ellis C, Krishnamurthy V, Deelchand V, Silversides J, McGuigan P, Ward K, O’Neill A, Finn S, Phillips B, Mullan D, Oritz-Ruiz de Gordoa L, Thomas M, Sweet K, Grimmer L, Johnson R, Pinnell J, Robinson M, Gledhill L, Wood T, Morgan M, Cole J, Hill H, Davies M, Antcliffe D, Templeton M, Rojo R, Coghlan P, Smee J, Mackay E, Cort J, Whileman A, Spencer T, Spittle N, Kasipandian V, Patel A, Allibone S, Genetu RM, Ramali M, Ghosh A, Bamford P, London E, Cawley K, Faulkner M, Jeffrey H, Smith T, Brewer C, Gregory J, Limb J, Cowton A, O’Brien J, Nikitas N, Wells C, Lankester L, Pulletz M, Williams P, Birch J, Wiseman S, Horton S, Alegria A, Turki S, Elsefi T, Crisp N, Allen L, McCullagh I, Robinson P, Hays C, Babio-Galan M, Stevenson H, Khare D, Pinder M, Selvamoni S, Gopinath A, Pugh R, Menzies D, Mackay C, Allan E, Davies G, Puxty K, McCue C, Cathcart S, Hickey N, Ireland J, Yusuff H, Isgro G, Brightling C, Bourne M, Craner M, Watters M, Prout R, Davies L, Pegler S, Kyeremeh L, Arbane G, Wilson K, Gomm L, Francia F, Brett S, Sousa Arias S, Elin Hall R, Budd J, Small C, Birch J, Collins E, Henning J, Bonner S, Hugill K, Cirstea E, Wilkinson D, Karlikowski M, Sutherland H, Wilhelmsen E, Woods J, North J, Sundaran D, Hollos L, Coburn S, Walsh J, Turns M, Hopkins P, Smith J, Noble H, Depante MT, Clarey E, Laha S, Verlander M, Williams A, Huckle A, Hall A, Cooke J, Gardiner-Hill C, Maloney C, Qureshi H, Flint N, Nicholson S, Southin S, Nicholson A, Borgatta B, Turner-Bone I, Reddy A, Wilding L, Chamara Warnapura L, Agno Sathianathan R, Golden D, Hart C, Jones J, Bannard-Smith J, Henry J, Birchall K, Pomeroy F, Quayle R, Makowski A, Misztal B, Ahmed I, KyereDiabour T, Naiker K, Stewart R, Mwaura E, Mew L, Wren L, Willams F, Innes R, Doble P, Hutter J, Shovelton C, Plumb B, Szakmany T, Hamlyn V, Hawkins N, Lewis S, Dell A, Gopal S, Ganguly S, Smallwood A, Harris N, Metherell S, Lazaro JM, Newman T, Fletcher S, Nortje J, Fottrell-Gould D, Randell G, Zaman M, Elmahi E, Jones A, Hall K, Mills G, Ryalls K, Bowler H, Sall J, Bourne R, Borrill Z, Duncan T, Lamb T, Shaw J, Fox C, Moreno Cuesta J, Xavier K, Purohit D, Elhassan M, Bakthavatsalam D, Rowland M, Hutton P, Bashyal A, Davidson N, Hird C, Chhablani M, Phalod G, Kirkby A, Archer S, Netherton K, Reschreiter H, Camsooksai J, Patch S, Jenkins S, Pogson D, Rose S, Daly Z, Brimfield L, Claridge H, Parekh D, Bergin C, Bates M, Dasgin J, McGhee C, Sim M, Hay SK, Henderson S, Phull MK, Zaidi A, Pogreban T, Rosaroso LP, Harvey D, Lowe B, Meredith M, Ryan L, Hormis A, Walker R, Collier D, Kimpton S, Oakley S, Rooney K, Rodden N, Hughes E, Thomson N, McGlynn D, Walden A, Jacques N, Coles H, Tilney E, Vowell E, Schuster-Bruce M, Pitts S, Miln R, Purandare L, Vamplew L, Spivey M, Bean S, Burt K, Moore L, Day C, Gibson C, Gordon E, Zitter L, Keenan S, Baker E, Cherian S, Cutler S, Roynon-Reed A, Harrington K, Raithatha A, Bauchmuller K, Ahmad N, Grecu I, Trodd D, Martin J, Wrey Brown C, Arias AM, Craven T, Hope D, Singleton J, Clark S, Rae N, Welters I, Hamilton DO, Williams K, Waugh V, Shaw D, Puthucheary Z, Martin T, Santos F, Uddin R, Somerville A, Tatham KC, Jhanji S, Black E, Dela Rosa A, Howle R, Tully R, Drummond A, Dearden J, Philbin J, Munt S, Vuylsteke A, Chan C, Victor S, Matsa R, Gellamucho M, Creagh-Brown B, Tooley J, Montague L, De Beaux F, Bullman L, Kersiake I, Demetriou C, Mitchard S, Ramos L, White K, Donnison P, Johns M, Casey R, Mattocks L, Salisbury S, Dark P, Claxton A, McLachlan D, Slevin K, Lee S, Hulme J, Joseph S, Kinney F, Senya HJ, Oborska A, Kayani A, Hadebe B, Orath Prabakaran R, Nichols L, Thomas M, Worner R, Faulkner B, Gendall E, Hayes K, Hamilton-Davies C, Chan C, Mfuko C, Abbass H, Mandadapu V, Leaver S, Forton D, Patel K, Paramasivam E, Powell M, Gould R, Wilby E, Howcroft C, Banach D, Fernández de Pinedo Artaraz Z, Cabreros L, White I, Croft M, Holland N, Pereira R, Zaki A, Johnson D, Jackson M, Garrard H, Juhaz V, Roy A, Rostron A, Woods L, Cornell S, Pillai S, Harford R, Rees T, Ivatt H, Sundara Raman A, Davey M, Lee K, Barber R, Chablani M, Brohi F, Jagannathan V, Clark M, Purvis S, Wetherill B, Dushianthan A, Cusack R, de Courcy-Golder K, Smith S, Jackson S, Attwood B, Parsons P, Page V, Zhao XB, Oza D, Rhodes J, Anderson T, Morris S, Xia Le Tai C, Thomas A, Keen A, Digby S, Cowley N, Wild L, Southern D, Reddy H, Campbell A, Watkins C, Smuts S, Touma O, Barnes N, Alexander P, Felton T, Ferguson S, Sellers K, Bradley-Potts J, Yates D, Birkinshaw I, Kell K, Marshall N, Carr-Knott L, Summers C

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