Research Overview
The Lallai Lab investigates how prenatal and adolescent exposures shape brain development and long term vulnerability to substance use and neurodevelopmental disorders. Our research integrates molecular neuroscience, behavioral pharmacology, and translational approaches, using preclinical rodent models together with extracellular vesicle (EV) analysis, proteomics, RNA sequencing, and computational behavioral tracking to define the biological mechanisms linking environmental exposure, genetics, and brain function.
Prenatal Drug Exposure and the Placenta Fetal Brain Axis
A major focus of the lab is the impact of prenatal polydrug exposure on the placenta fetal brain axis. We investigate how extracellular vesicles mediate molecular communication between the placenta and the developing fetal brain, and how this signaling is disrupted by prenatal nicotine and THC exposure. By profiling EV cargo from maternal blood, amniotic fluid, and fetal brain tissue, and integrating this with behavioral phenotyping of offspring (cognitive flexibility, social behavior, drug preference), we aim to identify biomarkers of neurodevelopmental disruption, including mechanisms relevant to autism spectrum disorders and later drug dependence, and to define potential therapeutic targets. This work is supported by a Tobacco Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP) Pilot Award.
Adolescent Social Isolation and Dopaminergic Circuits
A second research line examines how adolescent social isolation alters dopaminergic signaling and the maturation of reward circuits. We study how this early life stressor changes dopamine release dynamics in the medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens, and how these changes increase vulnerability to addiction and comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders. Using fiber photometry for real-time neurotransmitter measurement, receptor pharmacology, and machine-learning-based behavioral analysis, this work aims to identify critical developmental windows for intervention.