UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM
2010 NSSP Information
Harriet de Wit, Ph.D.
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Harriet de Wit, Ph.D. Clinical Mentor Associate Professor and Director Human Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory The University of Chicago Chicago, Illinois
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Research Interests
Dr. de Wit's research focuses on the physiological, subjective (i.e., mood-altering) and behavioral effects of drugs in healthy human volunteers. Current projects in her laboratory include: i) investigating individual differences in responses to drugs, ii) examining interactions between steroid hormones and drugs, and iii) studying the effects of drugs on impulsive behavior and risk-taking. These studies may improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying motivated behavior and of the processes underlying drug and alcohol use. Ultimately, we hope that studies such as these will lead to better approaches to preventing and treating drug abuse.
Selected Publications
Young, E.M., Mahler, S.V., Chi, H., de Wit, H: Mecamylamine and ethanol preference in healthy volunteers. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, in press.
Acheson, A., Burnworth, J.E., de Wit, H., Richards, J.B.: Effects of acute and chronic amphetamine on impulsive behavior in rats: Modulation by conditioned reinforcers. Psychopharmacology, in press.
Soderpalm, A.H.V., Lindsay, S., Purdy, R., Hauger, R.H. and de Wit, H.: Administration of progesterone produces mild sedative effects in men and women. Psychoneuroendocrinology 29:339-354, 2004.
Zernig, G., de Wit, H., Telser, S., Nienhusmeier, H., Wakonigg, G., Sturm, K., Berger, I., Kemmler, G., Saria, A.: Subjective effects of slow-release bupropion vs. caffeine as determined in a quasi-naturalistic setting. Pharmacology 70:206-215, 2004.
Reynolds, B., Richards, J.B., Dassinger, M., de Wit, H.:Therapeutic doses of diazepam do not increase impulsive behavior in humans. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior 79:17-24, 2004.
Kieres, A.K., Hausknecht, K.A., Farrar, A.M., Acheson, A., de Wit, H., Richards, J.B.: Effects of morphine and naltrexone on impulsive decision making in rats. Psychopharmacology 173:167-74, 2004.
Alsene, K.M., Li, Y., Chaverneff, F. and de Wit, H.: Role of abstinence and visual cues on food and smoking craving. Behavioral Pharmacology 14:145-151, 2003.
Chi, H. and de Wit, H.: Mecamylamine attenuates the subjective stimulant-like effects of alcohol in social drinkers. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 27(5):780-786, 2003.
McDonald, J., Schleifer, L., Richards, J.B., and de Wit,
H.: Effects of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol on behavioral measures of impulsivity in
humans. Neuropsychopharmacology 28:1356-1365, 2003
Shaham, Y., Shalev, U. , L. Lu, de Wit, H., and Stewart, J. : The reinstatement model of drug
relapse: History, methodology and major findings. Psychopharmacology,
168: 3-20, 2003.
de Wit, H., Nikolayev, L. , Soderpalm, A.H.V., Young, E.: Effects of acute social stress on alcohol consumption in healthy subjects. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 27:2003.
Alsene, K.M., Deckert, J. and de Wit, H.: Increased anxiety after acute caffeine associated with adenosine A2A receptor polymorphism. Neuropsychopharmacology 28:1694-1702, 2003.
de Wit, H., Enggasser, J.L., and Richards, J.B.: Acute administration of d-amphetamine decreases impulsivity in healthy volunteers. Neuropsychopharmacology 27:813-825, 2002.
Crean, J., Richards, J.B., and de Wit, H.: Impulsive behavior in men with and without a family history of alcoholism: Effects of tryptophan depletion. Behavioral Brain Research 136:2 349-57, 2002.