Rhett Alan Reichard

Dr. Reichard published various basic science approaches including neuronal tract tracing, intracranial neuropharmacology and behavioral paradigms in rat towards understanding the forebrain neurocircuitry of motivated behaviors that underly maladaptive neuropathologies such as substance and behavioral addictions.

He continued his research interests as a post-doctoral research fellow at the Neurobiology of Addiction Research Center in the Department of Neuroscience at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Reichard employed pathway-specific expression of chemogenetics to manipulate cortical-thalamic neurocircuitry in rodent models of PTSD, anxiety as well as heroin/cocaine self-administration. Throughout his time as a PhD student and post-doctoral fellow, Dr. Reichard taught various courses at the undergraduate, graduate and medical school levels. He continued his development as an educator at Briar Cliff University where he immersed himself in professional development towards implementing high-impact pedagogical practices in teaching.

He continues his passion towards teaching Neuroscience as a faculty at Saba University School of Medicine. 

• Basal Forebrain organization
• Neurocircuitry of motivated behaviours including drug addiction, anxiety and PTSD
• Neuropharmacology
• Viral delivery of opto/chemo-genetics
• Muscarinic receptor signalling

• 2015: Thomas C. Westfall Fellowship Saint Louis University School of Medicine Department of Pharmacology and Physiology. Awarded for presentation of original research entitled: “Contrasting the lateral preoptic area and ventral pallidum with measures of reward, anxiety and ingestion.”

• Reichard RA, Parsely KP, Subramanian S and Zahm DS. (Accepted April, 2019). Dissociable effects of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors on compulsive ingestion and pivoting movements elicited by disinhibiting the ventral pallidum. Brain Struct Funct DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01879-9. 
  
  
• Reichard RA, Subramanian S, Sura T, Parsely KP and Zahm DS. 2019. Distinct behavioral responses to disinhibitions of the lateral preoptic area and ventral pallidum: evidence for an accumbens and ventral pallium dopamine-dependent motivational state. Brain Struct Funct 243: 1245-65. doi: 10.1007/s00429-018-01826-0 
  
  
• Subramanian S, Reichard RA, Stevenson HS, Schwartz ZM, Parsley KP and Zahm DS. 2018. Lateral preoptic and ventral pallidal roles in locomotion and other movements Brain Struct Funct 223: 2907. doi.org/10.1007/s00429-018-1669-2. 
  
  
• Reichard RA, Subramanian S, Desta MT, Sura T, Becker ML, Ghobadi CW, Parsely KP and Zahm DS. 2016. Abundant collateralization of temporal lobe projections to the accumbens, bed nucleus of stria terminalis and central amygdala. Brain Structure and Function. doi: 10.1007/s00429-016-1321-y 
  
  
• Yetnikoff L, Lavezzi H, Reichard RA, Zahm DS. 2014. An update on the connections of the ventral mesencephalic dopaminergic complex. Neuroscience 282:23-48. 
  
  
• Yetnikoff L, Reichard RA, Schwartz ZM, Parsely KP, Zahm DS. 2014. Protracted maturation of forebrain afferent connections of the ventral tegmental area in the rat. J Comp Neurol 522: 1031-47. 
  
  
• Tang TH, Chang CT, Wang HJ, Erickson JD, Reichard RA, Martin AG, Shannon EK, Martin AL, Huang YW, Aronstam RS. 2013. Oxidative stress disruption of receptor-mediated calcium signaling mechanisms. J Biomedical Sciences 20:48-60. 
  
  
• Wang HJ, Martin AG, Chao PK, Reichard RA, Martin Al, Huang YW, Chan MH Aronstam. 2013. Honokiol blocks store operated calcium entry in CHO cells expressing the M3 muscarinic receptor: honokiol and muscarinic signaling. J Biomedical Science 20:11.

• How the functional interconnections of cortical and cortical-like structures with structures in the hypothalamus, basal forebrain, brainstem and spinal cord become maladaptive in neuropathologies including substance and behavioural addictions, obesity, post-tramatic stress disorders, depression and anxiety.  

• Reichard RA, Parsely KP, Subramanian S and Zahm DS. (Accepted April, 2019). Dissociable effects of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors on compulsive ingestion and pivoting movements elicited by disinhibiting the ventral pallidum. Brain Struct Funct DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01879-9.
   
• Reichard RA, Subramanian S, Sura T, Parsely KP and Zahm DS. 2019. Distinct behavioral responses to disinhibitions of the lateral preoptic area and ventral pallidum: evidence for an accumbens and ventral pallium dopamine-dependent motivational state. Brain Struct Funct 243: 1245-65. doi: 10.1007/s00429-018-01826-0 
  
• Subramanian S, Reichard RA, Stevenson HS, Schwartz ZM, Parsley KP and Zahm DS. 2018. Lateral preoptic and ventral pallidal roles in locomotion and other movements Brain Struct Funct 223: 2907. doi.org/10.1007/s00429-018-1669-2. 
  
  
• Reichard RA, Subramanian S, Desta MT, Sura T, Becker ML, Ghobadi CW, Parsely KP and Zahm DS. 2016. Abundant collateralization of temporal lobe projections to the accumbens, bed nucleus of stria terminalis and central amygdala. Brain Structure and Function. doi: 10.1007/s00429-016-1321-y 
  
  
• Yetnikoff L, Lavezzi H, Reichard RA, Zahm DS. 2014. An update on the connections of the ventral mesencephalic dopaminergic complex. Neuroscience 282:23-48. 
  
  
• Yetnikoff L, Reichard RA, Schwartz ZM, Parsely KP, Zahm DS. 2014. Protracted maturation of forebrain afferent connections of the ventral tegmental area in the rat. J Comp Neurol 522: 1031-47. 
  
  
• Tang TH, Chang CT, Wang HJ, Erickson JD, Reichard RA, Martin AG, Shannon EK, Martin AL, Huang YW, Aronstam RS. 2013. Oxidative stress disruption of receptor-mediated calcium signaling mechanisms. J Biomedical Sciences 20:48-60. 
  
  
• Wang HJ, Martin AG, Chao PK, Reichard RA, Martin Al, Huang YW, Chan MH Aronstam. 2013. Honokiol blocks store operated calcium entry in CHO cells expressing the M3 muscarinic receptor: honokiol and muscarinic signaling. J Biomedical Science 20:11. 
  
  

Conference Abstracts/ Poster Presentations

• Reichard RA, Cossio DM, McGinty JF. (November, 2019). Inhibition of a prelimbic to the posterior paraventricular thalamus pathway reduces anxiety-like behaviors during early withdrawal from cocaine. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, Chicago. 
  
  
• Giannotti G, Barry SM, Siemsen GM, Peters J, Reichard RA, Jhou T and McGinty JF. (November, 2018) Chemogenetic inhibition of prelimbic cortical output to paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus prevents anxiety-related behaviors and attenuates cocaine seeking. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, San Diego. 
  
  
• Reichard RA, Hopkins J, Salas J, Giannotti G and McGinty JM (April, 2018). Oxytocin ameliorates TMT-induced anxiety and gene expression. Frontiers in Neuroscience Abstracts, Charleston. 
  
  
• O’Neill CE, Reichard RA, Hopkins J, Salas J, Grinevich V and McGinty JF (November, 2017) CNS mechanisms underlying the suppression of stress-induced methamphetamine seeking by oxytocin in female rats. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, Washington, DC. 
  
  
• Reichard RA, Parsley KP, Subramanian S and Zahm DS (November, 2016). Comparison of stimulations of the lateral preoptic area and ventral pallidum using measures of reward, anxiety and ingestion. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, San Diego. 
  
  
• Reichard RA, Desta MT and Zahm DS (October, 2015). Collateralized basal amygdaloid projections to ventral striatopallidum and extended amygdala. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, Chicago. 
  
  
• Reichard RA, Parsley KP and Zahm DS. (November, 2014). Specificity of laterobasal amygdaloid projections to striatum and the extended amygdala. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, Washington, DC. 
  
  
• Parsley KP, Reichard RA, Zahm DS, Yetnikoff L. (November, 2013). Fewer accumbens neurons projecting to the ventral tegmental area in adolescent versus adult rats is not a simple reflection of fewer accumbens neurons in adolescents. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, San Diego, CA.