Welcome!

Research in the Lucas Lab is driven by a passion to improve the lives of people with mental illness. We conduct preclinical research in animal models to understand the mechanisms underlying individual susceptibility to psychiatric illness, with an emphasis on affective and memory disorders. Our laboratory integrates concepts and techniques from multiple disciplines, including psychology, anatomy, physiology, molecular biology, and endocrinology. This multiscale approach enables us to understand how systems interact to influence the brain’s control of behavior in normal and pathological states.

Our lab is part of the Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences in North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Our lab and offices are located in the Research Building at 1051 William Moore Drive. We are affiliated with the W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, Center for Human Health & the Environment, Comparative Medicine Institute, Comparative Biomedical Sciences Program, and Genetics Program.

You can find out more about who we are, what we do, and how you can get involved in our research efforts.