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College Downing College
Department
  • Psychology
  • Other Interdiciplinary Incentives

  • SBS Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour theme
  • Research Focus

    Keywords

  • Emotional Memory
  • PTSD
  • OCD
  • Addiction
  • Animal Models
  • Animal Behaviour
  • Clinical Conditions

  • Addiction
  • Obsessive compulsive disorder
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Equipment & Techniques

  • Behavioural analysis
  • Statistical analysis
  • Science Culture

  • Open Access
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    Professor Amy Milton

    (she/her/hers)
    University Position
    Professor
    Professor Amy Milton is pleased to consider applications from prospective PhD students.

    Interests

    Memory is a critical function of the brain, but little is known about the mechanisms by which memories are modified, adapted, and persist. Memories are known to 'reconsolidate' undergoing updating and strengthening following their destabilisation at retrieval. I study the neurochemical, molecular and intracellular basis of the reconsolidation process, for aversive (fear) and appetitive (addictive drug) memories. Using translationally relevant animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, drug addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorder, I also focus on using this knowledge of memory reconsolidation mechanisms to develop treatments for these disorders, based on the disruption of maladaptive memories.

    Publications

    Early-life stress biases responding to negative feedback and increases amygdala volume and vulnerability to later-life stress.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02385-7
    Journal: Transl Psychiatry
    E-pub date: 7 Mar 2023
    Authors: EG Dutcher, L Lopez-Cruz, EAC Pama, M-E Lynall, ICR Bevers, JA Jones, S Khan, SJ Sawiak, AL Milton, MR Clatworthy, TW Robbins, ET Bullmore, JW Dalley

    Sex-dependent effects of early life stress on reinforcement learning and limbic cortico-striatal functional connectivity.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100507
    Journal: Neurobiol Stress
    E-pub date: 1 Jan 2023
    Authors: K Zühlsdorff, L López-Cruz, EG Dutcher, JA Jones, C Pama, S Sawiak, S Khan, AL Milton, TW Robbins, ET Bullmore, JW Dalley

    Refinement of the stress-enhanced fear learning model of post-traumatic stress disorder: a behavioral and molecular analysis.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41684-022-01054-4
    Journal: Lab Anim (NY)
    E-pub date: 1 Nov 2022
    Authors: IA Van Assche, MS Padilla, OSRP Stupart, AL Milton

    Lack of Effect of Propranolol on the Reconsolidation of Conditioned Fear Memory due to a Failure to Engage Memory Destabilisation.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.11.008
    Journal: Neuroscience
    E-pub date: 1 Jan 2022
    Authors: F Rotondo, K Biddle, J Chen, J Ferencik, M d'Esneval, AL Milton

    Targeting drug memory reconsolidation: a neural analysis.

    DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.coph.2020.08.007
    Journal: Curr Opin Pharmacol
    E-pub date: 1 Feb 2021
    Authors: U Taujanskaitė, EN Cahill, AL Milton