Current Topics of Research
• Drug Abuse and the Developmental and Molecular Neurobiology of Aggression
• Neural Plasticity and the Control of Aggressive Behavior
• Stress and the Neurobiology of Agonistic Behavior
• Assessment of risk factors to inapproapriate aggression in at risk youth population

Selected Publications
• Ricci LA, Grimes JM, Melloni RH Jr. Lasting changes in neuonal activation patterns in select forebrain regions of aggressive, adolescent anabolic/androgenic steroid-treated hamsters. Behavioural Brain Research 2007; 176:344-352 [pdf]

• Ricci LA, Connor DF, Morrison R, Melloni RH Jr. Risperdone Exerts Potent Anti-aggressive effects in a Developmentally immature Animal Model of Escalated Aggression. Journal of Biological Psychiatry 2007; 62:218-225 [pdf]

• Grimes JM, Melloni RH Jr. Prolonged Alterations in the Serotonin Neural System Following the Cessation of Adolescent Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Exposure in Hamsters Behavioral Neuroscience 2006; 120(6):1242-1251 [pdf]

• Grimes JM, Ricci LA, Melloni RH Jr. Plasticity in Anterior Hypothalamus Vasopressin Correlates With Aggression During Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Withdrawal in Hamsters Behavioral Neuroscience 2005; 120(1):115-124 [pdf]

• Grimes JM, Melloni RH Jr. Serotonin-1B Receptor Activity and Expression Modulate the Aggression-Stimulating Effects of Adolescent Anabolic Steroid Exposure in Hamsters Behavioral Neuroscience 2005; 119(5):1184-1194 [pdf]

• Knyshevski I, Connor DF, Harrison RJ, Ricci LA, Melloni RH Jr. Persistent activation of select forebrain regions in aggressive, adolescent cocaine-treated hamsters. Behavioural Brain Research 2005; 159:277-286 [pdf]

• Ricci LA, Grimes JM, Knyshevski I, Melloni RH Jr. Repeated cocaine exposure during adolescence alters glutamic acid decarboxylase-65 (GAD-65) immunoreactivity in hamster brain: correlation with offensive aggression. Brain Research 2004; 1035:131-138 [pdf]

• Grimes JM, Ricci LA, Melloni RH Jr. Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD-65) immunoreactivity in brains of offensive, adolescent anabolic steroid treated hamsters Hormones and Behavior 2003; 44:271-280 [pdf]

• Grimes JM, Melloni RH Jr. Serotonin modulates offensive attack in adolescent anabolic steroid-treated hamsters. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior 2002; 73:713-721 [pdf]

• DeLeon KR, Grimes JM, Melloni RH Jr. Repeated Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Treatment during Adolescence Increases Vasopressin V1A Receptor Binding in Syrian Hamsters: Correlation with Offensive Aggression. Hormones and Behavior 2002; 42:182-191 [pdf]