Research

We are currently investigating neuroplasticity and behavioral neurotoxicity induced by legal and illegal substances, such as nicotine, cocaine, MDMA (“ecstasy”), GHB, opioids, and cannabis, as well as psychiatric medications. Accordingly, we characterize the total range of early information processing (e.g., pre-attentional gating) up to complex cognitive and behavioral functions (e.g., social cognition and interaction) in psychiatric diseases such as substance use disorders, schizophrenia, and depression. To achieve our research goals we employ classical neuropsychological tasks, specifically designed behavioral tests (e.g., social interaction paradigms and games), electrophysiology (ECG, EEG, EMG, SCR), molecular (positron emission tomography, NMR-spectroscopy) and functional neuroimaging (fMRI, functional connectivity), biomarker testing in blood and hair, toxicological hair analyses, and molecular genetics approaches.

• Cognitive sequelea of adolescent recreational substance use: a longitudinal study (Principal Investigator: Prof. Boris B. Quednow, Project Partner: Prof. Lilly Shanahan; Swiss National Science Foundation: 105314_214979; Duration: 2023-2026)
• Synapse, Trauma, & Addiction: Targeting common synaptic pathways in trauma-related disorders and addiction (Principal Investigators: Prof. Birgit Kleim and Prof. Boris B. Quednow; Co-Principal Investigators: Prof. Steven Brown and Prof. Shiva Tyagarajan; Clinical Research Priority Program (CRPP); Duration: 2022-2025)
• The endocannabinoid system and substance use disorders: acute and chronic endocannabinoid levels in alcohol dependent patients (Principal Investigators: Dr. Sara L. Kroll and Prof. Boris B. Quednow; Swiss National Science Foundation [TMPFP1_209804] and Swiss Foundation for Alcohol Research; Duration: 2022-2024)
• The endocannabinoid system and drug addiction: basal and stress-related endocannabinoid plasma levels in chronic cocaine and opioid users (Principal Investigators: Dr. Sara L. Kroll and Prof. Boris B. Quednow; Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, Fonds für wissenschaftliche Zwecke im Interesse der Heilung von psychischen Krankheiten, Uniscientia Foundation Vaduz; Duration: 2020-2024)
• Real risks of the online world for MSM living with HIV: association of online dating addiction and mental and sexual health outcomes - a pilot study. (Principal Investigator: Dr. Benjamin Hampel; Co-Principal Investigators: Prof. Jan Fehr and Prof. Boris B. Quednow; Gilead Sciences; Duration: 2023-2024)
• Neurofilaments in substance use disorders and their psychiatric comorbidities (Principal Investigators: Prof. Prof. Boris B. Quednow and Dr. Francesco Bavato; Duration: 2019-2024)
• Substance use and stress in young adulthood (Principal Investigator: Prof. Lilly Shanahan, Project Partner: Prof. Boris B. Quednow; Swiss National Science Foundation: 10531C_189008; Duration: 2020-2023)
• Real risks of the online world: association of online dating addiction with mental and sexual health outcomes in sexual minorities (Principal Investigator: Prof. Jan Fehr, Project Partner: Prof. Boris B. Quednow; Swiss National Science Foundation: 10001C_192814; Duration: 2020-2023)
• Memory enhancement by gamma-hydroxybutyrate vs. trazodone in major depressive disorder (Principal Investigator: Prof. Erich Seifritz, Project Partner: PD Dr. Oliver G. Bosch, Prof. Birgit Kleim, Prof. Hans-Peter Landolt, Prof. Boris B. Quednow, Prof. Björn Rasch, Prof. Franz X. Vollenweider; Swiss National Science Foundation: 32003B_175780; Duration: 2019-2023)