My name is Verónica Domingues and I am a PhD student at the School of Medicine, University of Minho.
I am interested in exploring the neural basis of motivation. Using new cutting-edge neuroscience techniques (e.g. optogenetics, fiber photometry and calcium imaging using miniscopes), I am identifying and characterizing the neuronal ensembles representing rewarding and aversion, ranging from exposure to natural rewards (e.g. food) or drugs of abuse (e.g cocaine), to exposure to foot shock. More precisely, I intend to understand the role of the nucleus accumbens direct pathway (D1- medium spiny neurons (MSN) projections) and indirect pathway (D1- and D2-MSN projections) in reward-related behaviours and if these processes are mediated by endogenous opioid release. I am also currently studying the impact of early life exposure to stress hormones on the neural circuits of effort-based decision making and motivation, in particular cortical projections from the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) to the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) and ventral tegmental area. I showed for the first time that in utero exposure to high levels of glucocorticoids programs the developing brain by changing ACC-NAc functional connectivity, impairing effort and motivated behaviors.