Dr. Ming-Hu Han

The Han Lab is revealing how stress and alcohol reshape dopamine circuits, identifying ion channel targets for mood and addiction treatment.

Dr. Han is a Professor of Pharmacological Sciences and Neuroscience whose research examines the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying depression and alcohol addiction. Leading the Han Laboratory of Cellular Neurophysiology, he investigates how stress and alcohol exposure reshape dopamine circuitry in the ventral tegmental area, influencing emotion, reward, and behavioral resilience or vulnerability. His integrative “up-down-up” approach moves from behavioral models to molecular mechanisms—using electrophysiology, viral gene delivery, optogenetics, and targeted knockouts—to reveal how neuroadaptations in ion channel function and network activity contribute to mood and addiction disorders.