Education

1999
Bachelor os Science, Physics
University of Alberta-Edmonton, AB, Canada

2001
Master of Science, Physics
University of Alberta-Edmonton, AB, Canada

2007
Doctor of Physics
University of Ottawa-Ottawa, ON, Canada

2007-2010
Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Neurobiology
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh, PA

2010-2013
Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Otolaryngology
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh, PA

Publications

Kelley KK, Lightfoot SHM, Hill MN, Middleton JW, Gilpin NW. THC Vapor Inhalation Attenuates Hyperalgesia in Rats Using a Chronic Inflammatory Pain Model. Journal of Pain, 25:104649 (2024).

Weera MM, Shackett RS, Kramer HM, Middleton JW, Gilpin NW. Central Amygdala Projections to the Lateral Hypothalamus Mediate Avoidance Behavior in Rats. Journal of Neuroscience, 42:61-72 (2023).

Weera MM, Webster DA, Shackett RS, Middleton JW, Gilpin NW. Traumatic Stress-Induced Increases in Anxiety-like Behavior and Alcohol Self-Administrataion are Mediated by Central Amygdala CRF1 Neurons that Project to the Lateral Hypothalamus. Journal of Neuroscience, 43:8690-8699 (2023).

Jacotte-Simancas A, Middleton JW, Edwards S, Molina P, Gilpin NW. Brain Injury Effects of Neuronal Activation and Synaptic Transmission in the Basolateral Amygdala (BLA) of Adult Male and Female Wistar Rats. Journal of Neurotrauma, 39:544-559 (2022).

Jacotte-Simancas A, Middleton JW, Edwards S, Molina P, Gilpin NW
Brain Injury Effects of Neuronal Activation and Synaptic Transmission in the Basolateral Amygdala (BLA) of Adult Male and Female Wistar Rats.
Journal of Neurotrauma, 39:544-559 (2022)

Research

The Middleton Lab research investigates the properties and function of neurons and synaptic connections in brain areas involved in sensory perception, stress response and pain modulation. These areas include neocortex, amygdala, periaqueductal gray (PAG) and lateral hypothalamus. Our goal is to characterize how neural circuits in these regions of interest function under normal physiological conditions and how their structure and function changes under conditions of external stressors, chronic substance exposure, chronic pain and/or traumatic brain injury. We use electrophysiological recording techniques and advanced computational analysis techniques to achieve this characterization. Additionally, we test the potential for existing and novel pharmacological therapeutics to protect and restore normal physiological function of neural circuits in these disease and neural insult states.