Estelle Barbier

Research

The Barbier Lab

We explore the neural circuits and molecular mechanisms that underlie alcohol use- and anxiety disorders. Additionally, we examine potential common mechanisms that may link these two disorders.

News

Two researchers in lab coats are working in a lab.

How fear memories get stuck in some brains

Researchers at Linköping University have discovered a biological mechanism that increases the strength with which fear memories are stored in the brain. The study identifies shared mechanisms behind anxiety and alcohol dependence.

Mechanism behind compulsive alcohol use revealed

A small group of nerve cells in the brain determines whether an individual continues to consume alcohol even when it has negative consequences. The scientists have identified a mechanism that may be a suitable target for treatment by medication.

Publications

Publications in DiVA

2026

Estelle Barbier, Leon Höglund, Li Xu, Nihal A. Salem, Elizabeth A. Osterndorff-Kahanek, Riccardo Barchiesi, Antonio Lacorte, Lief E. Fenno, Robert O. Messing, R. Dayne Mayfield, Markus Heilig (2026)

Identification and validation of central amygdala FGFR1 as a therapeutic target for alcohol use disorder using single-nucleus sequencing in rats Nature Communications, Vol. 17, Article 9407 (Article in journal)

https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-77302-9

Ilya O. Blokhin, Derek Van Booven, Josepmaria Argemi, Mengying Li, J. Sunil Rao, Estelle Barbier, Markus Heilig, Jin Cheng, Antoine B. Douaihy, Ramon Bataller, Claes Wahlestedt (2026)

Global changes in gene expression and splicing in alcoholic liver disease Scientific Reports, Vol. 16, Article 23367 (Article in journal)

https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-52759-2

2024

Sanne Toivainen Eloff, Michele Petrella, Li Xu, Esther Visser, Tamina Weiss, Sofia Vellere, Zane Zeier, Claes Wahlestedt, Estelle Barbier, Esi Domi, Markus Heilig (2024)

Generation and Characterization of a Novel Prkcd-Cre Rat Model Journal of Neuroscience, Vol. 44, Article e0528242024 (Article in journal)

https://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0528-24.2024

Organisation

A researcher is looking at encased samples in a lab.

Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience - CSAN

Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience (CSAN) integrates knowledge and methodology from different areas of basic and clinical neuroscience.

Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (BKV)

What characterizes the Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (BKV) is the wide breadth of research and education. BKV is one of the largest departments at LiU with affiliation mainly to the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.