Pietro Cottone, PhD

Associate Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Dr. Cottone is co-director of the Laboratory of Addictive Disorders. Dr. Cottone’s research interests focus on the neurobiological substrates of motivated behaviors including feeding and addiction. The major goal of Dr. Cottone’s research is identifying the biological bases of and potential treatments for eating disorders and obesity. Current studies concern the role of stress in compulsive eating and palatable food dependence. Areas of focused research include the investigation of the neurobiological bases of stress-related disorders such as anxiety and depression. Dr. Cottone’s studies are carried out on environmental and genetic animal models, using behavioral, biochemical, and molecular approaches.

Dr. Cottone co-directs a graduate course in neuropsychopharmacology offered for the first time in Fall 2010 which examines the interaction between behavior and classes of drugs that affect the central nervous system.

Publications

  • Published 12/28/2023

    Lepeak L, Miracle S, Ferragud A, Seiglie MP, Shafique S, Ozturk Z, Minnig MA, Medeiros G, Cottone P, Sabino V. Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide (PACAP) of the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis Mediates Heavy Alcohol Drinking in Mice. eNeuro. 2023 Dec; 10(12). PMID: 38053471.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 7/25/2023

    Seiglie MP, Lepeak L, Miracle S, Cottone P, Sabino V. Stimulation of lateral parabrachial (LPB) to central amygdala (CeA) pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) neurons induces anxiety-like behavior and mechanical allodynia. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2023 Sep; 230:173605. PMID: 37499765.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 9/21/2022

    Seiglie MP, Lepeak L, Velázquez-Sanchez C, Ferragud A, Le T, Cottone P, Sabino V. The Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide (PACAP) System of the Central Amygdala Mediates the Detrimental Effects of Chronic Social Defeat Stress in Rats. eNeuro. 2022; 9(5). PMID: 36566434.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 4/20/2022

    Minnig MA, Blasio A, Ferragud A, Sami YN, Erhard EE, Clark RH, DiLeo A, Giuliano C, Everitt BJ, Cottone P, Sabino V. Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide type 1 receptor within the nucleus accumbens core mediates excessive alcohol drinking in alcohol-preferring rats. Neuropharmacology. 2022 Jul 01; 212:109063. PMID: 35460713.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 12/3/2021

    Minnig MA, Park T, Echeveste Sanchez M, Cottone P, Sabino V. Viral-Mediated Knockdown of Nucleus Accumbens Shell PAC1 Receptor Promotes Excessive Alcohol Drinking in Alcohol-Preferring Rats. Front Behav Neurosci. 2021; 15:787362. PMID: 34924973.

    Read at: PubMed

View All 75 Publications:   View Full Profile in BUMC

Other Positions

  • Associate Professor, Psychiatry
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
  • Graduate Faculty (Primary Mentor of Grad Students)
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences

Websites

Education

  • University of Rome, PhD
  • University of Palermo, PharmD
  • University of Palermo, MS
  • University of Palermo, BS

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