Andrei Sabin Nastase
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Research. My research focuses on how the endocannabinoid system acts to regulate valence processing and coordinate behavioral invigoration during stress and homeostatic need. My approach is rooted in an ethological framework; by evaluating behavioral repertoires in a semi-naturalistic approach/avoidance task, I seek to answer my question in an evolutionarily relevant way.
Hobbies. I love playing frisbee, riding my bike, reading classics, and engaging in as much banter as I can.
Favourite paper. Favorite paper: “Amygdala Signaling during Foraging in a Hazardous Environment” (Amir et al., 2015). Great use of an ethological model to explore the behavioral correlates of neuronal activity in a sub-section of basolateral amygdala neurons.
Publications
Sex dependent effects of endocannabinoid modulation of fear extinction in rats. Morena M, Nastase AS, Santori A, Cravatt BF, Shansky RM, Hill MN. (2021) British Journal of Pharmacology 178(4), 983-996 LINK Endocannabinoids, cannabinoids and the regulation of anxiety Petrie GN, Nastase AS, Aukema RJ, Hill MN (2021) Neuropharmacology 195:108626 LINK Amygdalar endocannabinoids are affected by predator odor stress in a sex-specific manner and modulate acoustic startle reactivity in female rats Albrechet-Souza L, Nastase AS, Hill MN, Gilpin NW (2021) Neurobiology of Stress 15:100387 LINK Full list of publications Awards
Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s Program (Canadian Institutes of Health Research – Fredrick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships) – 2019-2020 Cumming School of Medicine Graduate Scholarship – 2019-2021 Mathison Centre Graduate Recruitment Scholarship in Mental Health - 2019-2021 Hotchkiss Brain Institute Graduate Recruitment Scholarship in Neuroscience (awarded and declined) Branch Out Neurological Foundation Undergraduate Studentship – 2017 Markin Undergraduate Student Research Program in Health and Wellness Award (awarded and declined) education
I earned my Bachelor of Science (BSc) Honours Degree in Neuroscience at the University of Calgary. My first exposure to research was at the Alberta Children’s Hospital under the supervision of Dr. Daniele Pacaud, where I studied the effectiveness of Corneal Confocal Microscopy in predicting and detecting pediatric diabetic neuropathy. My passion for research blossomed during my honours thesis under the supervision of Dr. Matt Hill and Dr. Maria Morena, with whom I investigated the influence of the endocannabinoid system in regulating fear memory dynamics. I am currently enrolled in the Leader's in Medicine Program at the University of Calgary. |
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Research funded by Brain Canada, BONF, CFI, CIHR, NIH and NSERC. Many thanks to the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Mathison Centre, and Alberta Children's Hospital for their support.
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