Moira van Staaden

Research Interests:

Research in my lab is focused on untangling the behavioral and genetic factors underlying substance use disorders. We are exploring learning and memory, decision making, and behavioral control, motivational and reward systems, and the long-term effects of prenatal drug exposure. This work contributes to a better understanding of the prevention and treatment of drug addiction, such as the current opioid crisis. A second research theme centers on improving undergraduate STEM education, in particular focusing on social network analysis and the mechanisms of institutional change.

Selected Publications:

Karnib N & MJ van Staaden 2021. The Deep Roots of Addiction: A Comparative Perspective. Brain, Behavior & Evolution. 2021 doi: 10.1159/000514180

Chowdhury B, van Staaden MJ & R Huber. 2020. Multivariate Analysis of Open Field Exploration Identifies Latent Spatial and Social Behavioral Axes in Domestic Dogs. Frontiers In Behavioral Neuroscience 14:125 doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00125

Gore S, van Staaden MJ, Sprague J, & R Huber. 2020. Synthetic cathinones and their phenethylamine analogues produce distinct psychomotor and reward behavior in crayfish. Behavioural Brain Research 379: 112368 doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112368

Impact Publications:

van Staaden, MJ & H Römer. 1998. Evolutionary transition from stretch to hearing organs in ancient grasshoppers. Nature 394: 773-776.

Kotrschal K, van Staaden MJ & R Huber. 1998. Fish brains: evolution and environmental relationships. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 8: 373-408.

Huber R & MJ van Staaden (eds). 2019. Invertebrate Models of Natural and Drug-Sensitive Reward. Frontiers Media SA., Lausanne, Switzerland.