Research in the Abel lab focuses on the molecular mechanisms of memory storage and the molecular basis of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Dr. Abel has been a leader in applying molecular and genetic approaches to define how neural circuits mediate behavior, making creative use of genetically modified mouse lines to study the biological basis of behavior. The three main areas of research in the Abel lab all derive from an interest in the ways in which information is stored in the brain. First, we have been examining the molecular and epigenetic mechanisms of long-term memory. We have identified ways to enhance memory, and we are seeking to define the molecular substrates underlying this cognitive enhancement with the hope that this will lead to novel therapeutic approaches for the debilitating cognitive impairments that accompany many neurological, psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. Second, we have been examining the role of sleep in memory storage, defining the molecular mechanisms by which sleep deprivation impairs hippocampus-dependent memory. Recent work in the Abel lab has revealed that sleep deprivation alters synaptic connectivity in the hippocampus. Third, we are examining mouse models of schizophrenia and autism. We have recently identified male-specific deficits in reward learning in mouse models of autism, providing a potential way to explain the well-known male bias of this neurodevelopmental disorder.