• Prompting social investigation. 

Keppler E, Molas S#. eLife. 2024 Jun. (Pubmed)

• Dopamine control of social novelty preference is constrained by an interpeduncular-tegmentum circuit 

Molas S#, Freels TG, Zhao-Shea R, Lee T, Gimenez-Gomez P, Barbini M, Martin G and Tapper AR#. Nat Commun. 2024 Apr. (Pubmed)

• A neuronal coping mechanism linking stress-induced anxiety to motivation for reward

Klenowski PM, Zhao-Shea R, Freels TG, Molas S, Zinter M, M'Angale P, Xiao C, Martinez-Nunez L, Thomson T and Tapper AR. Sci Adv. 2023 Dec. (Pubmed)

• Viral tracing confirms paranigral ventral tegmental area dopaminergic inputs to the interpeduncular nucleus where dopamine release encodes perceived saliency

Molas S*, Zhao-Shea R*, and Tapper AR#. eNeuro. 2023 Jan.  (Pubmed)

• Dynamic activity of interpeduncular nucleus GABAergic neurons controls expression of nicotine withdrawal in male mice

Klenowski PM, Zhao-Shea R, Freels TG, Molas S and Tapper AR. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2022 Feb. (Pubmed)

• Midbrain circuits of novelty processing. 

Tapper AR. & Molas S#. Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2020 Dec. (Pubmed)

• Midbrain dopamine controls anxiety by engaging unique interpeduncular nucleus microcircuitry. 

DeGroot S, Zhao-Shea R, Cheung L, Klenowski PM, Molas S, Gardner PD, Li Y and Tapper AR. Biol. Psych. 2020 Jun. (Pubmed)

• A circuit-based mechanism underlying familiarity signaling and the preference for novelty. 

Molas S, Zhao-Shea R, Liu L, DeGroot SR, Gardner PD, Tapper AR. Nat Neurosci. 2017 Sep. (Pubmed)

* This work received a comment in Nature Neuroscience News and Views: Burwell RD & Templer VL. Jamais vu all over again. (Pubmed) 

• Anxiety and Nicotine Dependence: Emerging Role of the Habenulo-Interpeduncular Axis. 

Molas S, DeGroot SR, Zhao-Shea R, Tapper AR. Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2017 Feb. (Pubmed)