Department of Psychology

Psychology > Faculty > Jeff Beeler

Jeff Beeler

Jeff Beeler, PhD

Basic Information

Title: Professor
Area: Behavioral Neuroscience
PhD: University of Chicago, 2003
Email: jbeeler@qc.cuny.edu
Office: Science Building E312
Office Phone:
Lab: Science Building E312
Lab Phone:
Website: Beeler Lab

Professional Activities

  • Section Editor, NeuroReport
  • Academic Editor, PLoS One
  • Guest Associate Editor, Frontiers in Decision Neuroscience (Special Topic: Dopamine and behavioral flexibility)
  • Membership, Society for Neuroscience

Research Interests

The lab focuses on mechanisms of neuroplasticity and learning in the basal ganglia using mouse genetic models and techniques. A primary interest is the role of dopamine in adapting learning and behavior to environmental conditions. The lab takes an integrated approach to the study of behavior and underlying neural mechanism utilizing a range of techniques, including homecage operant paradigms, electrophysiology, fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, optogenetics and fiber photometry. Applied areas of interest include addiction, Parkinson’s disease, obesity and anorexia nervosa.

Selected Publications

  1. Gnazzo, F.G., Mourra, D., Guevara, C. and Beeler, J.A. (2021). Chronic food restriction enhances dopamine mediated intracranial self-stimulation. NeuroReport, 32(13), pp 1128-1133.
  2. Beeler, J. A. and Burghardt, N. S. (2021). Activity-based Anorexia for Modeling Vulnerability and Resilience in Mice. Bio-protocol 11(9): e4009. DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.4009.
  3. Beeler, J.A., and Burghardt, N.S. (2021). Commentary on Vulnerability and Resilience to Activity-Based Anorexia and the Role of Dopamine. Journal of Experimental Neurology, 2, 21–28.
  4. Beeler, J.A., Mourra, D., Zanca, R.M., Kalmbach, A., Gellman, C., Klein, B.Y., Ravenelle, R., Serrano, P., Moore, H., Rayport, S., et al. (2020). Vulnerable and Resilient Phenotypes in a Mouse Model of Anorexia Nervosa. Biological Psychiatry S0006322320317443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.06.030
  5.  Mourra, D. Gnazza, F., Cobos, S. and Beeler J.A, (2020) Striatal dopamine D2 receptors regulate cost sensitivity and behavioral thrift. Neuroscience, 425, pp. 134-145.  DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.11.002
  6. Beeler, J.A. and Dreyer, J.K. (2019) Synchronicity: The role of midbrain dopamine in whole-brain coordination. eNeuro, 6(2). doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0345-18.2019
  7. Koranda, J. and Beeler, J.A. (2019). Nicotine in aberrant learning and corticostriatal plasticity. In The Neuroscience of Nicotine: Mechanisms and Treatment. Ed., V.R. Preedy, Elseivier, Inc., pp. 181-189
  8. Beeler, J.A., and Mourra, D. (2018). To Do or Not to Do: Dopamine, Affordability and the Economics of Opportunity. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2018.00006
  9. Meyers, A.M., Mourra, D., and Beeler, J.A. (2017). High fructose corn syrup induces metabolic dysregulation and altered dopamine signaling in the absence of obesity. PLoS ONE 12. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0190206
  10. Xia, J, Meyers, A.M., and Beeler, J.A. (2017). Chronic nicotine alters corticostriatal plasticity in the striatopallidal pathway mediated by NR2B-containing silent synapses. Neuropsychopharmacology, Nov; 42(12):2314-2324. Epub 2017 May 2. https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2017.87
  11. Koranda, J., Krok, A.C., Xu, J., McGehee, D.S., *Beeler, J.A., Zhuang, X. (2016). Chronic nicotine mitigates aberrant inhibitory motor learning induced by motor experience under dopamine deficiency, J Neurosci. 36 (19), 228-5240.
  12. Beeler, JA, Faust, RP, Turkson, S, Ye, H. and Zhuang, X. (2016). Low dopamine D2 receptor increases vulnerability to obesity via reduced physical activity not increased appetitive motivation. Biological Psychiatry, 79(11), 887-897.
  13. Petzinger, G. M., D.P. Holschneider B. E. Fisher, S. McEwen, N. Kintz, M. Halliday, W. Toy, J. W. Walsh, J. Beeler , M. W. Jakowec (2015). The effects of exercise on dopamine neurotransmission in Parkinson’s disease: Targeting neuroplasticity to modulate basal ganglia circuitry. Brain Plasticity, 1(1), 29-39.
  14. Augustin, S., Beeler, J.A., McGehee, D.S., and Zhuang, X. (2014). Cyclic AMP and afferent activity govern bidirectional synaptic plasticity in striatopallidal neurons. J Neurosci, v34, pp. 6692-6699.
  15. Koranda, J.L., Cone, J.J., McGehee, D.S., Roitman, M.F., Beeler, J.A. and Zhuang, X (2014). Nicotinic activation scales dynamic range of dopamine release in-vivo. J Neurophysiology, v 111, pp 103-111.
  16. Beeler, J.A., Cools, R., Luciana, M., Ostlund, S.B., Petzinger, G. (2013). A kinder, gentler dopamine . . . highlighting dopamine’s role in behavioral flexibility. Editorial introduction to Special Topic on Dopamine and behavioral flexibility, Frontiers in Neuroscience, 8, 4. DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.0004.
  17. Beeler, J.A., Jakowec, M., Petzinger, G. (2013). The enemy within: propagation of aberrant corticostriatal plasticity to cortical function in Parkinson’s disease. Frontiers in Neurology, v4, DOI=10.3389/fneur.2013.00134.
  18. Beeler, J.A., McDaid, J, Frank, MJ, Alexander, E., Turkson, S., Bernandez, M.S., McGehee, D.S. and Zhuang, X. (2012). A role for dopamine-mediated learning in the pathophysiology and treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Cell Reports, v2(6), p 1747. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2012.11.014.
  19. Beeler, J.A., Frazier, C.R.M., Zhuang, X. (2012). Putting desire on a budget: dopamine and energy expenditure, reconciling reward and resources. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, v. 6:49. DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2012.00049.
  20. Beeler, J.A., McCutcheon, J.E., Cao, Z.F.H., Murakam, M., Roitman, M.F., Zhuang, X. (2012). Taste uncoupled from nutrition fails to sustain reinforcing properties of food, European Journal of Neuroscience, epub ahead of print. DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2012.08167.
  21. Beeler, J.A., Frazier, C.R.M., Zhuang, X. (2012). Dopaminergic enhancement of local food seeking is under global homeostatic control. European Journal of Neuroscience, v 35, pp.146-159.
  22. Beeler, J.A. (2011). Preservation of function in Parkinson’s disease: what’s learning got to do with it? Brain Research, v 35(1), pp 96-113.
  23. Beeler, J.A., Daw, N., Frazier, C.R.M., Zhuang, X. (2010). Tonic dopamine modulates exploitation of reward learning, Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 4(170).
  24. Beeler, J.A., Cao, Z.F.H., Khierbek, M.A., Ding, Y., Koranda, J, Kang, U., Zhuang, X. (2010). Dopamine-dependent motor learning: insight into L-dopa’s long-duration response. Annals of Neurology, 67(5), p. 639-47.