Dustin Stairs , Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Phone # (402) 280-2461
E-mail: dustinstairs@creighton.edu

Teaches Courses in:
   
Physiological Psychology; Drugs & Behavior; Research Methods & Statistics; Learning: Basic Processes; History & Systems; and Introductory Psychology

Research interests:

My research interests involve the use of animal models to study the biological bases of drug abuse. Research in my laboratory focuses on the reinforcing properties and subjective effects of stimulant drugs. Interested students help in the daily handling and care of the animals. Students also obtain hands on experience with numerous behavioral pharmacology techniques.

Representative Publications:
 
Yadav, R., Gupta, S.C., Hillman, B.G., Bhatt, J., Stairs, D.J., and Dravid, S.M. (2012). Deletion of glutamate delta-1 receptor in mouse leads to aberrant emotional and social behaviors. PLoS One, 7(3), e32969.
 
Stairs, D.J., Prendergast, M.A., and Bardo, M.T. (2011). Enrichment-induced differences in corticosterone: Differential response to amphetamine and glucocorticoid receptor blockade in amphetamine self-administration. Psychopharmacology, 218(1), 293-301
 
Hillman, B.G., Gupta, S.C., Stairs, D.J., Buonanno, A., and Dravid, S.M. (2011). Behavioral analysis of NR2C knockout mouse reveals deficit in working memory and acquisition of conditioned fear. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 95(4), 404-414
 
Stairs, D.J., Neugebauer, N.M., and Bardo, M.T. (2010).  Nicotine self-administration in rats using a multiple schedule of intravenous nicotine and sucrose. Behavioural Pharmacology, 21(3), 182-193.
 
Stairs, D.J. and Bardo, M.T. (2009).  Neurobehavioral effects of environmental enrichment and drug abuse vulnerability.  Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, 92(3), 377-382.