Seungwoo Kang, PhD
Research Interest, Education & Publications
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Research & Education Building, CB 3526
Office phone icon: 706-721-0906 Members of the Lab |
RESEARCH INTEREST
Our lab focuses on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying addiction and its comorbidities. Specially, our research seeks to characterize the local tripartite synapses and long-range circuits in the brain that underlie adaptive and maladaptive behaviors driven by positive and negative reinforcement during the transition from substance use to dependence. To expand our understanding of the cell type-, circuit-, context-, and age-dependent neuropharmacological basis in a variety of related pathologies, our research applies multi-layered combination of biochemical, electrophysiological, and behavioral assays with new approaches such as a real-time behavior-synchronized brain recording and computational analysis. Based on those findings, our long-term goal is to identify brain-wide signatures to predict the risk of related diseases.
EDUCATION & POST-DOCTORAL TRAINING
2021 Research Associate/Research Scientist Mayo Clinic, MN
2017 Postdoctoral Fellow Rutgers University, NJ
2014 PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology University of California, Irvine, CA
2008 MS in Neurobiology Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
2005 BS in Life Sciences Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
2022-Present Assistant Professor, The Graduate School
2021-Present Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Augusta University Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA
2018-2021 Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine & Science
EDITORIAL BOARDS/GRANT REVIEW PANELS
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) - Medical Research Council (MRC)
Frontiers in Physiology Editorial Board
Pathophysiological Basis of Mental Disorders and Addiction (PMDA) Study Section, NIH, Ad hoc
HONORS
2021 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Travel Award
2019 NIH Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award
2018 Japan Neuroscience Society Travel Award
2017 Research Society on Alcoholism Travel Award
2016 Society for Neuroscience Professional Development Award
2016 Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences OVCR Travel Award
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Baker M, Kang S, Hong S, Song M, Yang M, Peyton L, Essa H, Lee SW, Choi DS. External globus pallidus input to the dorsal striatum regulates habitual seeking behavior in male mice. Nature Communications. Accepted, 2023.
Kang S, Hong SI, Kang S, Song M, Yang MA, Essa H, Baker M, Lee J, Bruce RA, Lee SW, Choi DS. Astrocyte activities in the external globus pallidus regulate action-selection strategies in reward-seeking behaviors. Science Advances. 2023 Jun 16;9(24):eadh9239.
Kang S, Choi DS. Astrocyte adenosine signaling and neural mechanisms of goal-directed and habitual reward-seeking behaviors. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2021 Jan;46(1):227-228.
Kang S, Hong SI, Lee J, Peyton L, Baker M, Choi S, Kim H, Chang SY, Choi DS. Activation of Astrocytes in the Dorsomedial Striatum Facilitates Transition From Habitual to Goal-Directed Reward-Seeking Behavior. Biol Psychiatry. 2020 Nov 15;88(10):797-808.
Hong SI, Kang S, Chen JF, Choi DS. Indirect Medium Spiny Neurons in the Dorsomedial Striatum Regulate Ethanol-Containing Conditioned Reward Seeking. J Neurosci. 2019 Sep 4;39(36):7206-7217.
Kang S, Li J, Zuo W, Chen P, Gregor D, Fu R, Han X, Bekker A, Ye JH. Downregulation of M-channels in lateral habenula mediates hyperalgesia during alcohol withdrawal in rats. Sci Rep. 2019 Feb 25;9(1):2714.
Kang S, Li J, Bekker A, Ye JH. Rescue of glutamate transport in the lateral habenula alleviates depression- and anxiety-like behaviors in ethanol-withdrawn rats. Neuropharmacology. 2018 Feb;129:47-56.
Kang S, Li J, Zuo W, Fu R, Gregor D, Krnjevic K, Bekker A, Ye JH. Ethanol Withdrawal Drives Anxiety-Related Behaviors by Reducing M-type Potassium Channel Activity in the Lateral Habenula. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2017 Aug;42(9):1813-1824.
Kay HY, Greene DL, Kang S, Kosenko A, Hoshi N. M-current preservation contributes to anticonvulsant effects of valproic acid. J Clin Invest. 2015 Oct 1;125(10):3904-14.
Kang S, Xu M, Cooper EC, Hoshi N. Channel-anchored protein kinase CK2 and protein phosphatase 1 reciprocally regulate KCNQ2-containing M-channels via phosphorylation of calmodulin. J Biol Chem. 2014 Apr 18;289(16):11536-11544.
Kosenko A, Kang S, Smith IM, Greene DL, Langeberg LK, Scott JD, Hoshi N. Coordinated signal integration at the M-type potassium channel upon muscarinic stimulation. EMBO J. 2012 May 29;31(14):3147-56.
Kang S, Kim HJ, Kim HJ, Shin SK, Choi SH, Lee MS, Shin KH. Effects of reboxetine and citalopram pretreatment on changes in cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript (CART) expression in rat brain induced by the forced swimming test. Eur J Pharmacol. 2010 Nov 25;647(1-3):110-6.