Addiction is one of America’s most challenging public health problems. While many believe it to be a moral failing, several studies have concluded that addiction is indeed a chronic disease, hijacking the neural reward system in the brain. While much is known about drug and alcohol addiction, few researchers have studied the neurophysiology of food addiction. Like drug addiction, food addiction activates receptors in the brain that release the neurotransmitter, dopamine. Specifically, the dopamine D2 receptor has been implicated with addiction. Lower dopamine D2 receptor expression in the brain has been associated with increased risk of cravings being satisfied by addictive behaviors, predisposing individuals to obesity and substance use disorders. While genetics plays a prominent role in addiction, what else can influence an individual’s susceptibility? One’s social environment appears to be linked to the neurobiological changes in the dopaminergic system, influencing vulnerability to addiction. To further understand obesity, it is important to evaluate the risks and mitigators of food addiction, and thus, the regulation of the dopaminergic reward system in the brain.

Partnering with the University of Southern California, this study evaluated the environmental effect of isolation and socialization on the expression of dopamine D2 receptors, which could pose risk or mitigate one’s vulnerability to food addiction. The common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, was used as the model organism. This study revealed novel data on this chronic disease and can contribute to the growing body of knowledge supporting the relationship between the environment, genetics, and its subsequent impact on food addiction.

As an Honors Research in Science (HRS) II student and young scientist, I have learned to think critically, gain academic and personal independence, and most importantly accept challenges. I started this course as a junior, and soon developed critical skills in translation, categorization, articulation, evaluation, and writing clinical research studies. These skills helped strengthen my academic potential as a female scholar, encouraging me to present my original scientific research at the national level. My previous research, “The Role of Isolation and Socialization on Food and Drug Addiction in Drosophila melanogaster,” was awarded by the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. I was so honored to become the first student in Archer’s history to be named a 2020 Top 300 Regeneron Scholar. Without having challenged myself in this rigorous course, I would not have had the opportunity to receive this national award, joining the Society’s honorable alumni community.

As a senior in my second year in HRS, I continued to develop my research while focusing on the neurophysiology of food addiction. This year, I not only strengthened my critical analytical skills, but gained confidence in professional networking by independently partnering with the University of Southern California’s Stevens Laboratory to access their advanced DNA assays.

Overall, I am so grateful to have had this unique opportunity to conduct independent, original scientific research at Archer. This class has provided me a strong scientific foundation with invaluable skills, and I am so excited to carry these learnings with me to college next year at Cornell University.