Carlee Toddes

Ph.D. 2022

PhD Thesis

Mu opioid receptor modulation of social behavior.

Current Position:

Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Washington

Undergraduate Institution and Major:

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire B.S., Psychology 2015 

Graduate Advisor:

Graduate Research:

I study how the mu opioid receptor regulates social behavior.

Graduate Publications:

  • Trieu BH, Remmers BC, Toddes C, Brandner DD, Lefevre EM, Kocharian A, Retzlaff CL, Dick RM, Mashal MA, Gauthier EA, Xie W, Zhang Y, More SS, Rothwell PE. Angiotensin-converting enzyme gates brain circuit-specific plasticity via an endogenous opioid. Science. 2022 Mar 11;375(6585):1177-1182.
  • Toddes C, Lefevre EM, Brandner DD, Zugschwert L, Rothwell PE. Mu opioid receptor (Oprm1) copy number influences nucleus accumbens microcircuitry and reciprocal social behaviors. J Neurosci. 2021 Sep 22;41(38):7965-7977.
  • Brown JL, Lyons CE, Toddes C, Monko T, Tyshynsky R. Reevaluating tear gas toxicity and safety. Inhal Toxicol. 2021 Sep 12:1-16.
  • Brown JL, Lyons CE, Toddes C, Monko T, Tyshynsky R. Tear gas safety and usage practices. Journal of Science Policy and Goverance. 2021;18(1):https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG180104.
  • Lefevre EM, Pisansky MT, Toddes C, Baruffaldi F, Pravetoni M, Tian L, Kono TJY, Rothwell PE. Interruption of continuous opioid exposure exacerbates drug-evoked adaptations in the mesolimbic dopamine system. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2020;45(11):1781-1792.

Graduate Level Abstracts:

  • Toddes C, Rothwell P. The Social Brain and Mu, Society for Neuroscience meeting. 2018.

Graduate Level Awards:

  • Ruth Kirschstein Individual National Research Service Award 2020-2023
  • Stark Travel Award 2018Lefevre EM, Pisansky MT, Toddes C, Baruffaldi F, Pravetoni M, Tian L, Kono TJY, Rothwell PE. Interruption of continuous opioid exposure exacerbates drug-evoked adaptations in the mesolimbic dopamine system. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2020 Feb 20. doi: 10.1038/s41386-020-0643-x.

Graduate Level Committees:

  • Career Facilitatin Committee  2018-2020

Professional Societies:

  • Society for Neuroscience

Thesis Committee Members:

Undergraduate or Post-Bac Research:

As an undergraduate I worked in several different laboratories, beginning in a Behavioral Neuroscience lab studying the neurochemical regulation of eating in Sprague Dawley rats. I later joined a laboratory that focused on the experimental analysis of behavior in order to study the environmental variables which affect behavior. After graduation I went to work for the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease in San Francisco where I used several transgenic mouse models to study neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.

What Got You Interested In Research?

I became interested in research after learning about different neurodevelopmental disorders and how they affect the brain. I had originally wanted to pursue a career as a psychiatrist but felt that I could make a greater impact as a research scientist. I became very interested in merging the two fields of psychiatry and neuroscience, and working within those fields to produce more effective therapies for severe mental disorders.

Rotations:

Kelvin O. Lim, MD, Department of Psychiatry
Matthew Chafee, Ph.D., Department of Neuroscience
Patrick Rothwell, Ph.D., Department of Neuroscience

Why Did You Choose MN?

I choose UMN for the amazing collaborative spirit, the amount and quality of laboratories available to me, and the investment that the university puts into their graduate students. I am very interested in translational neuroscience and was drawn to the collaborative nature of the University of Minnesota where I could work with several different investigators on complimentary projects.

Student Mentor and the Best Advice They Gave.

Brendan Hasz: He really helped me to stay calm about rotations and helped me pick several amazing scientists to work with!

Carlee Toddes