By Sarah Stortz
University of Iowa graduate student Cate Cosme just might find a way to remedy cocaine addiction through neuroscience research.
The basis of her work stemmed from previous UI research done that looked at the insular cortex and its role in drug use. The cortex is a hidden lobe in the brain that is linked to a wide variety of functions, such as perception, motor control, and self-awareness.
“When people had damage to this area, they were able to completely quit smoking even though they had been a consistent smoker beforehand, which is really incredible and also a unique finding,” said Cosme, a graduate student in the Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Program. “We decided to follow up on this and determine what this region is doing specifically during relapse.”
Cosme, who earlier this year was awarded National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse, said she intends to look particularly into cocaine relapse, along with other parts of the brain that connect with the insular cortex. She is interested in knowing how these areas of the brain are communicating with each other and how they could lead to relapse, she said. Cosme took on the project because of her fascination with drug addiction, she said.
“The way we look at [drug addiction] is that it’s really easy for an individual to stop taking a drug once,” she said. “We know that people go to rehab, they’re able to come back, and they stop taking the drug for a small amount of time, but they always end up going back to their drug of choice. I really wanted to know what was driving this behavior.”
UI psychology Assistant Professor Ryan LaLumiere, who specializes in behavioral and cognitive neuroscience, has worked as her adviser during the research. His role consisted of teaching her how to use the science involved with insular cortex and helping her develop ideas.
“She’s worked [with the insular cortex] since August 2012; the project has slowly evolved into the work she’s done today,” LaLumiere said. “She’s already published on the insular cortex before, so this gives a fellowship.”
Her work resulted in her receiving the NIH Award. With its being her third time applying for it, she said, she felt a great deal of relief after finally winning.
“It is an award that helps you in your future endeavors, so it definitely open doors for the future, which is pretty exciting as well,” she said.
Psychology grants administrator Suzanne Doershuk, who helped Cosme with putting together the application for the award, said it had more than 100 pages of material.
“I’ve assisted several grad students in putting together these applications,” she said. “In the last three years, only two have been awarded. It’s very competitive.”
LaLumiere said he was thrilled when Cosme’s work received the award.
“She’s very well deserving of it,” he said. “Cate is a fantastic graduate student, and this will provide recognition to those who are doing critical biomedical research.”
After Cosme completes the Ph.D. work at Iowa, she will head to Northwestern University as a postdoctoral fellow. During her time there, she will receive further training in advanced research techniques.
