Dr. Robert Malenka: Neuroplasticity and Reward Systems in the Brain

Dr. Robert Malenka is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine./nHis laboratory has discovered key components allowing neuroplasticity./nDr. Malenka's research is central to understanding how reward systems in the brain function.

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In this episode, my guest is Robert Malenka, MD, PhD, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford School of Medicine who has made numerous seminal discoveries of how the brain changes (neuroplasticity) in response to learning and in response to rewarding and reinforcing experiences. We discuss the brain’s several reward systems involving dopamine and serotonin and how these motivate us to seek out specific behaviors and substances. We discuss how these reward systems are modified based on context and our memories, and how they can be hijacked toward maladaptive drug seeking in addiction. We also explore how reward systems influence social connections, oxytocin and empathy and how that applies to our understanding of autism spectrum disorders. This episode should be of interest to those interested in neuroplasticity, social bonding, addiction, autism, learning and motivation.

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