I study acute and chronic effects of ethanol on specific types of neurons and synapses of the Basal Ganglia circuitry, focusing on the striatal indirect and direct pathways targets: the globus pallidus and the substantia nigra reticulata. I use transgenic mice, optogenetics, photometry and chemogenetic approaches to target specific circuits and test how in vitro and in vivo ethanol exposure can affect in vitro and in vivo intrinsic firing and synaptic transmission.  I`ve been also working on an operant behavior paradigm to study variables that could bias habitual learning and ethanol habitual seeking behavior.