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Anna Radke

Education

• Postdoctoral Fellow, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism 2012-2016
• Ph.D., University of Minnesota, Neuroscience, 2011
• B.A., St. Olaf College, Biology, 2006

Teaching Interests

I teach Neuroscience courses in the Psychology department. My approach to teaching is guided by one core principle: successful learning requires active student participation. This principle defines what I expect of my students and of myself as a teacher and research mentor. In the classroom, I use innovative techniques such as the flipped classroom design to involve students in the learning process. In the lab, I provide rigorous training and opportunities for independent work to guide my trainees toward success.

• 159 | Seminar in Neuroscience
• 251 | Introduction to Biopsychology
• 356 | Psychopharmacology
• 452 | Structured Research Experience in Neuroscience
• 458 | Capstone in Neuroscience
• 456/556 | Advanced Biological Bases of Behavior

Research Interests

In the Reward and Addictive Disorders (RAD) Lab we use rodent models to study motivational brain circuits on a systems level. We are particularly interested in how biological and environmental factors such as sex and stress produce vulnerabilities to reward seeking, with the goal of uncovering novel mechanisms relevant to addiction and other mental health disorders. Our principal experimental approaches include manipulating behavior with pharmacological and genetic tools.

I have a strong interest in mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in research. Undergraduate students interested in joining the Reward and Addictive Disorders lab should fill out an application at .

Interested graduate students should contact Dr. Radke directly.

Professional Recognition

• Psi Chi Psychology Professor of the Year (2022)
• Alumni Teaching Scholar, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University (2019-2020)
• Postdoctoral Mentor Award, National Institutes of Health (2013, 2014, 2015)

Selected Publications

• Beane CR**, Lewis DG**, Bruns N**, Pikus KL**, Durfee MH**, Zegarelli RA*, Perry TW, Sandoval O*, Radke AK. (2024). Cholinergic mu-opioid receptor deletion alters reward preference and aversion-resistance. Neuropharmacology 255:110019
• Monroe SC* & Radke AK. (2023). Opioid withdrawal: Role in addiction and neural mechanisms. Psychopharmacology 240: 1417–1433
• Sneddon EA*, Rasizer LN**, Cavalco NG**, Jaymes AH**, Ostlie NJ**, Minshall BL*, Masters BM**, Hughes MR, Hrncir H, Arnold AP, Radke AK. (2022). Gonadal hormones and sex chromosome complement differentially contribute to ethanol intake, preference, and relapse-like behaviour in Four Core Genotypes mice. Addiction Biology 27: e13222.
• Radke AK, Sneddon EA*, Monroe SC*. (2021). Studying sex differences in rodent models of addictive behaviors. Current Protocols in Neuroscience 1(4): e119.
• Sneddon EA*, Schuh KM**, Frankel JW**, Radke AK. (2021). The contribution of medium spiny neuron subtypes in the nucleus accumbens core to compulsive-like alcohol drinking. Neuropharmacology 187: 108497.
• Radke AK, Held IT**, Sneddon EA*, Riddle CA**, Quinn JJ. (2020). Additive influences of acute early life stress and sex on vulnerability for aversion-resistant alcohol drinking. Addiction Biology 25: e12829.
• Sneddon EA*, White RD**, Radke AK. (2019). Sex differences in binge-like alcohol drinking and resistance to aversion in C57BL6/J mice. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 43: 243-249.

*ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú graduate student

**ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú undergraduate student

View a complete list of my publications on page.

External Funding

• R01 Research Project Grant, Sex chromosome contributions to alcohol drinking behaviors, $1,605,510, 2024-2029 (PI)
• R15 Academic Research Enhancement Award, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Cholinergic interneuron regulation of opioid-related behaviors, $373,181, 2024-2027 (PI)
• R21 Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Sex-specific effects of infant trauma on alcohol drinking: Role of amygdala intercalated neurons, $367,893, 2021-2023 (PI)
• F99 Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award, National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Mechanisms underlying female vulnerability to compulsive alcohol drinking, $93,040, 2020-2022 (Sponsor; PI: Sneddon)
• R15 Academic Research Enhancement Award, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Analysis of subcortical networks that promote aversion-resistant alcohol drinking, $378,136, 2020-2023 (PI)

Internal Funding

• ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University, Rapid Investment Program grant, Sex chromosome regulation of female vulnerability to alcohol drinking behaviors, $96,000, 2022-2023
• ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University, Committee on Faculty Research grant, Defining the neural circuits responsible for opioid reward and aversion, $38,700, 2018-2019
• ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University, Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship grant, Preliminary data on the neurobiological mechanisms of opioid abuse, $15,270, 2018-2019
• ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University, College of Arts and Sciences, Do dopamine neurons contribute to compulsive alcohol-drinking?, $5,000, 2017