Dennis R. Sparta, PhD

During my graduate career, I worked with Dr. Todd Thiele at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where I studied the role of neuropeptide Y and corticotropin releasing factor in promoting different aspects of alcoholism.  In my first postdoctoral position, I worked in the laboratory of Dr. Antonello Bonci at the University of California, San Francisco where I learned ex vivo slice electrophysiology.   My final postdoctoral position was in the laboratory of Dr. Garret Stuber at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  Here I learned optogenetic techniques as well as in vivo electrophysiology to show that parallel, but functionally opposing neurons from the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis bidrectionally modulate reward and aversion.

My recently established laboratory takes a systems neuroscience approach to examine the neural circuitry between the limbic and reward systems to uncover novel neural circuits involved in neuropsychiatric illness.  The laboratory also has a strong focus in drug and alcohol addiction Our laboratory will employ both in vivo and ex vivo electrophysiology, optogenetics, freely moving calcium imaging, and advanced microscopy.  Therefore, we will be able to identify, record, and manipulate discrete neural circuits to determine their role in disease states.

circuits, optogenetics, electrophysiology, behavior, imaging

Dennis R. Sparta, Garret D. Stuber (2014) Cartography of serotonergic circuits.  Neuron.  83(3): 513-5.

Dennis R. Sparta, Nanna Hovelso, Alex O. Mason, Pranish A. Kantak Randall L. Ung, Heather K. Decot, Garret D. Stuber (2014)  Activation of prefrontal cortical parvalbumin interneurons during the presentation of reward-predictive cues facilitates extinction.  J Neurosci.  34(10):3699-705.

Joshua H. Jennings*, Dennis R. Sparta*, Alice M. Stamatakis, Randall L. Ung, Kristen E. Pleil, Thomas L. Kash, Garret D. Stuber (2013) Distinct extended amygdala circuits for reward and aversion.  Nature 496(7444): 224-8.

Dennis. R. Sparta, Alice M. Stamatakis, Jana L. Phillips, Nanna Hovelso, Ruud van Zessen, Garret D. Stuber (2011) Construction of implantable optical fibers for long-term optogenetic manipulation of neural circuits.  Nature Protocols 7: 12-23

Matthew J. Wanat*, Dennis R. Sparta*, F. Woodward Hopf, M. Scott Bowers, Miriam Melis, Antonello Bonci (2009) Strain specific synaptic modifications on VTA dopamine neurons after ethanol exposure. Biological Psychiatry 65 (8): 646-653.

*co authors