What we've published.

A nucleus accumbens-projecting prefrontal cortex circuit underlies chronic social stress-induced depression-like behaviors

Ma X, Kim H, Zhang L, Chen P, Wei J, Cui Y, …, Ferguson D, Qiu S

Translational Psychiatry 2026;16(1)

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Transcriptional Profiling of D1-MSNs Reveals SIRT1-Dependent and -Independent Responses to Chronic Social Defeat Stress

Kim HD, Cho HJ, Nguyen A, Barney A, Qiu S, Ferguson D

bioRxiv 2025 (preprint)

PubMedPMCDOI

MET receptor tyrosine kinase promotes the generation of functional synapses in adult cortical circuits

Cui Y, Ma X, Wei J, Chen C, Shakir N, Guirram H, …, Ferguson D, Qiu S

Neural Regeneration Research 2025;20(5):1431-1444

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Protocol for Xenium spatial transcriptomics studies using fixed frozen mouse brain sections

Ma X, Chen P, Wei J, Zhang J, Chen C, Zhao H, …, Dai Z, Qiu S

STAR Protocols 2024;5(4):103420

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SIRT1 Coordinates Transcriptional Regulation of Neural Activity and Modulates Depression-Like Behaviors in the Nucleus Accumbens

Kim HD, Wei J, Call T, Ma X, Quintus NT, Summers AJ, …, Qiu S, Ferguson D

Biological Psychiatry 2024;96(6):495-505

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Disrupted Maturation of Prefrontal Layer 5 Neuronal Circuits in an Alzheimer's Mouse Model of Amyloid Deposition

Chen C, Wei J, Ma X, Xia B, Shakir N, Zhang JK, …, Qiu S, Bai F

Neuroscience Bulletin 2023;39(6):881-892

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Early impairment of cortical circuit plasticity and connectivity in the 5XFAD Alzheimer's disease mouse model

Chen C, Ma X, Wei J, Shakir N, Zhang JK, Zhang L, …, Bai F, Qiu S

Translational Psychiatry 2022;12(1):371

PubMedPMCDOI

Disrupted Timing of MET Signaling Derails the Developmental Maturation of Cortical Circuits and Leads to Altered Behavior in Mice

Ma X, Wei J, Cui Y, Xia B, Zhang L, Nehme A, …, Levitt P, Qiu S

Cerebral Cortex 2022;32(8):1769-1786

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Shisa6 mediates cell-type specific regulation of depression in the nucleus accumbens

Kim HD, Wei J, Call T, Quintus NT, Summers AJ, Carotenuto S, …, Qiu S, Ferguson D

Molecular Psychiatry 2021;26(12):7316-7327

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Time-delimited signaling of MET receptor tyrosine kinase regulates cortical circuit development and critical period plasticity

Chen K, Ma X, Nehme A, Wei J, Cui Y, Cui Y, …, Levitt P, Qiu S

Molecular Psychiatry 2021;26(8):3723-3736

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Conditional knockout of MET receptor tyrosine kinase in cortical excitatory neurons leads to enhanced learning and memory in young adult mice but early cognitive decline in older adult mice

Xia B, Wei J, Ma X, Nehme A, Liong K, Cui Y, …, Ferguson D, Qiu S

Neurobiology of Learning and Memory 2021;179:107397

PubMedPMCDOI

Testing Depression in Mice: a Chronic Social Defeat Stress Model

Kim HD, Call T, Carotenuto S, Johnson R, Ferguson D

Bio-protocol 2017;7(7):e2203Featured article

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Cocaine Mediates the Cellular Mechanism of Satiation

Ferguson D

Biological Psychiatry 2017;81(7):e47-e48

PubMedDOI

Drug Addiction and Histone Code Alterations

Kim HD, Call T, Magazu S, Ferguson D

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 2017;978:127-143

PubMedDOI

SIRT1 Mediates Depression-Like Behaviors in the Nucleus Accumbens

Kim HD, Hesterman J, Call T, Magazu S, Keeley E, Armenta K, …, Nestler EJ, Ferguson D

The Journal of Neuroscience 2016;36(32):8441-52Featured article

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Erratum to: Chronic cocaine-regulated epigenomic changes in mouse nucleus accumbens

Feng J, Wilkinson M, Liu X, Purushothaman I, Ferguson D, Vialou V, …, Nestler EJ, Shen L

Genome Biology 2015;16:227

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Dishevelled-2 regulates cocaine-induced structural plasticity and Rac1 activity in the nucleus accumbens

Dias C, Dietz D, Mazei-Robison M, Sun H, Damez-Werno D, Ferguson D, …, Neve R, Nestler EJ

Neuroscience Letters 2015;598:23-8

PubMedPMCDOI

Role of Tet1 and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in cocaine action

Feng J, Shao N, Szulwach KE, Vialou V, Huynh J, Zhong C, …, Jin P, Nestler EJ

Nature Neuroscience 2015;18(4):536-44

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Epigenetic basis of opiate suppression of Bdnf gene expression in the ventral tegmental area

Koo JW, Mazei-Robison MS, LaPlant Q, Egervari G, Braunscheidel KM, Adank DN, …, Hurd YL, Nestler EJ

Nature Neuroscience 2015;18(3):415-22

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SIRT1-FOXO3a regulate cocaine actions in the nucleus accumbens

Ferguson D, Shao N, Heller E, Feng J, Neve R, Kim HD, …, Shen L, Nestler EJ

The Journal of Neuroscience 2015;35(7):3100-11

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Morphine and cocaine increase serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 1 activity in the ventral tegmental area

Heller EA, Kaska S, Fallon B, Ferguson D, Kennedy PJ, Neve RL, Nestler EJ, Mazei-Robison MS

Journal of Neurochemistry 2015;132(2):243-53

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β-catenin mediates stress resilience through Dicer1/microRNA regulation

Dias C, Feng J, Sun H, Shao NY, Mazei-Robison MS, Damez-Werno D, …, Shen L, Nestler EJ

Nature 2014;516(7529):51-5

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Locus-specific epigenetic remodeling controls addiction- and depression-related behaviors

Heller EA, Cates HM, Peña CJ, Sun H, Shao N, Feng J, …, Zhang F, Nestler EJ

Nature Neuroscience 2014;17(12):1720-7

PubMedPMCDOI

Nucleus accumbens-specific interventions in RGS9-2 activity modulate responses to morphine

Gaspari S, Papachatzaki MM, Koo JW, Carr FB, Tsimpanouli ME, Stergiou E, …, Lobo MK, Zachariou V

Neuropsychopharmacology 2014;39(8):1968-77

PubMedPMCDOI

Chronic cocaine-regulated epigenomic changes in mouse nucleus accumbens

Feng J, Wilkinson M, Liu X, Purushothaman I, Ferguson D, Vialou V, …, Nestler EJ, Shen L

Genome Biology 2014;15(4):R65

PubMedPMCDOI

Prefrontal cortical circuit for depression- and anxiety-related behaviors mediated by cholecystokinin: role of ΔFosB

Vialou V, Bagot RC, Cahill ME, Ferguson D, Robison AJ, Dietz DM, …, Berton O, Nestler EJ

The Journal of Neuroscience 2014;34(11):3878-87

PubMedPMCDOI

Stress and CRF gate neural activation of BDNF in the mesolimbic reward pathway

Walsh JJ, Friedman AK, Sun H, Heller EA, Ku SM, Juarez B, …, Nestler EJ, Han MH

Nature Neuroscience 2014;17(1):27-9

PubMedPMCDOI

Essential role of SIRT1 signaling in the nucleus accumbens in cocaine and morphine action

Ferguson D, Koo JW, Feng J, Heller E, Rabkin J, Heshmati M, …, Shen L, Nestler EJ

The Journal of Neuroscience 2013;33(41):16088-98

PubMedPMCDOI

Rapid regulation of depression-related behaviours by control of midbrain dopamine neurons

Chaudhury D, Walsh JJ, Friedman AK, Juarez B, Ku SM, Koo JW, …, Nestler EJ, Han MH

Nature 2013;493(7433):532-6

PubMedPMCDOI

BDNF is a negative modulator of morphine action

Koo JW, Mazei-Robison MS, Chaudhury D, Juarez B, LaPlant Q, Ferguson D, …, Han MH, Nestler EJ

Science 2012;338(6103):124-8

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Rac1 is essential in cocaine-induced structural plasticity of nucleus accumbens neurons

Dietz DM, Sun H, Lobo MK, Cahill ME, Chadwick B, Gao V, …, Russo SJ, Nestler EJ

Nature Neuroscience 2012;15(6):891-6

PubMedPMCDOI

Serum response factor and cAMP response element binding protein are both required for cocaine induction of ΔFosB

Vialou V, Feng J, Robison AJ, Ku SM, Ferguson D, Scobie KN, …, Mouzon E, Nestler EJ

The Journal of Neuroscience 2012;32(22):7577-84

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Kappa opioid receptor signaling in the basolateral amygdala regulates conditioned fear and anxiety in rats

Knoll AT, Muschamp JW, Daws SE, Ferguson D, Dietz DM, Meloni EG, …, Konradi C, Carlezon WA Jr

Biological Psychiatry 2011;70(5):425-33

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A silent synapse-based mechanism for cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization

Brown TE, Lee BR, Mu P, Ferguson D, Dietz D, Ohnishi YN, …, Dong Y, Schlüter OM

The Journal of Neuroscience 2011;31(22):8163-74

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A unique role of RGS9-2 in the striatum as a positive or negative regulator of opiate analgesia

Psifogeorgou K, Terzi D, Papachatzaki MM, Varidaki A, Ferguson D, Gold SJ, Zachariou V

The Journal of Neuroscience 2011;31(15):5617-24

PubMedPMCDOI

IκB kinase regulates social defeat stress-induced synaptic and behavioral plasticity

Christoffel DJ, Golden SA, Dumitriu D, Robison AJ, Janssen WG, Ahn HF, …, Morrison JH, Russo SJ

The Journal of Neuroscience 2011;31(1):314-21

PubMedPMCDOI

Nuclear factor-kappaB is a critical mediator of stress-impaired neurogenesis and depressive behavior

Koo JW, Russo SJ, Ferguson D, Nestler EJ, Duman RS

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2010;107(6):2669-74

PubMedPMCDOI

Anti-glucocorticoid gene therapy reverses the impairing effects of elevated corticosterone on spatial memory, hippocampal neuronal excitability, and synaptic plasticity

Dumas TC, Gillette T, Ferguson D, Hamilton K, Sapolsky RM

The Journal of Neuroscience 2010;30(5):1712-20

PubMedPMCDOI

Mineralocorticoid receptor overexpression in basolateral amygdala reduces corticosterone secretion and anxiety

Mitra R, Ferguson D, Sapolsky RM

Biological Psychiatry 2009;66(7):686-90

PubMedDOI

SK2 potassium channel overexpression in basolateral amygdala reduces anxiety, stress-induced corticosterone secretion and dendritic arborization

Mitra R, Ferguson D, Sapolsky RM

Molecular Psychiatry 2009;14(9):847-55, 827

PubMedPMCDOI

Viral vector-mediated blockade of the endocrine stress-response modulates non-spatial memory

Ferguson D, Lin S, Sapolsky R

Neuroscience Letters 2008;437(1):1-4

PubMedPMCDOI

Overexpression of mineralocorticoid and transdominant glucocorticoid receptor blocks the impairing effects of glucocorticoids on memory

Ferguson D, Sapolsky R

Hippocampus 2008;18(11):1103-11

PubMedDOI

Mineralocorticoid receptor overexpression differentially modulates specific phases of spatial and nonspatial memory

Ferguson D, Sapolsky R

The Journal of Neuroscience 2007;27(30):8046-52

PubMedPMCDOI

Enhancing cognition after stress with gene therapy

Nicholas A, Munhoz CD, Ferguson D, Campbell L, Sapolsky R

The Journal of Neuroscience 2006;26(45):11637-43

PubMedPMCDOI

Changes in cerebrospinal fluid neurochemistry during pregnancy

Altemus M, Fong J, Yang R, Damast S, Luine V, Ferguson D

Biological Psychiatry 2004;56(6):386-92

PubMedDOI

Restructuring the neuronal stress response with anti-glucocorticoid gene delivery

Kaufer D, Ogle WO, Pincus ZS, Clark KL, Nicholas AC, Dinkel KM, …, Winters MA, Sapolsky RM

Nature Neuroscience 2004;7(9):947-53

PubMedDOI

Chronic D-amphetamine induces sexually dimorphic effects on locomotion, recognition memory, and brain monoamines

Bisagno V, Ferguson D, Luine VN

Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior 2003;74(4):859-67

PubMedDOI

Serotonin mediates CA1 spine density but is not crucial for ovarian steroid regulation of synaptic plasticity in the adult rat dorsal hippocampus

Alves SE, Hoskin E, Lee SJ, Brake WG, Ferguson D, Luine V, …, Greengard P, McEwen BS

Synapse 2002;45(2):143-51

PubMedDOI

Short toxic methamphetamine schedule impairs object recognition task in male rats

Bisagno V, Ferguson D, Luine VN

Brain Research 2002;940(1-2):95-101

PubMedDOI

Effects of chronic restraint stress and estradiol on open field activity, spatial memory, and monoaminergic neurotransmitters in ovariectomized rats

Bowman RE, Ferguson D, Luine VN

Neuroscience 2002;113(2):401-10

PubMedDOI