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Neuroeconomics, Marijuana, and Microscopic Worms: The Neurobiology of Choice and Drugs

With Shawn Lockery, PhD, Professor at the Institute of Neuroscience at the University of Oregon and Co-founder & CTO of NemaMetrix, Inc.

Would it surprise you to learn that when worms get high, they get the munchies just like humans? If so, you are not alone. This finding certainly surprised researchers at University of Oregon’s Institute of Neuroscience studying the effects of cannabinoids on decision making in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a tiny worm with a brain of only 302 neurons. The new research means that the munchies probably arose much further back in evolutionary history than previously thought, and may be almost universal in animals.

In this talk, UO neuroscientist and local biotech entrepreneur Shawn Lockery will trace the path leading to this discovery and beyond, from behavioral experiments showing that worms are price-conscious to brain imaging studies showing that cannabinoids probably make tasty food even tastier to worms.

Shawn Lockery is a professor in UO's Department of Biology and Institute of Neuroscience. Educated at Yale, Oxford, and University of California, San Diego, he holds degrees in philosophy (BA) and biology (PhD). His research focuses on the neuronal and genetic basis of behavior in C. elegans. He is also co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of NemaMetrix, Inc., a start-up company based in Eugene focusing on treatments for epilepsy.