Shimon Amir, Concordia University

Research

Striatum Avv-Cre Circadian Rhythms Clock Genes Cre-Lox Recombination Depression And Anxiety-Like Behavior Electrophysiology Medium Spiny Neurons

Latest papers

Region-specific Bmal1 deletion in the dorsal striatum alters alcohol consumption in a sex-specific manner.
Drug and alcohol dependence · 2026 · senior author
Circadian clock genes Bmal1 and Per2 in the nucleus accumbens are negative regulators of alcohol-drinking behavior in mice.
Alcohol (Fayetteville, N.Y.) · 2026
Disruptive effects of d-amphetamine on conditioned sexual inhibition in the male rat.
Psychopharmacology · 2025

All 45 publications

Latest funding

Sleep and Circadian Misalignment and their Relation to Cardiometabolic Health during Adolescence
CIHR · 2020 · Co-investigator
$1,445,851
Regulation of circadian behavioral and molecular functioning by chronic social isolation stress
NSERC · 2019 · Principal investigator
$240,000
The role of striatal clock genes in depression and anxiety-like behaviors
CIHR · 2018 · Nominated PI
$745,875

All 15 grants and awards

45 publications.

01

Region-specific Bmal1 deletion in the dorsal striatum alters alcohol consumption in a sex-specific manner.

Darvishmolla M, Courtemanche R, Amir S

Drug and alcohol dependence2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2026.113367 PMID: 42767113

02

Circadian clock genes Bmal1 and Per2 in the nucleus accumbens are negative regulators of alcohol-drinking behavior in mice.

Herrera J, Button M, Doherty-Haigh P, Szubinski A, Amir S, Schoettner K

Alcohol (Fayetteville, N.Y.)2026

DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2026.07.002 PMID: 42447969

03

Disruptive effects of d-amphetamine on conditioned sexual inhibition in the male rat.

Germé K, Persad D, Petit-Robinson J, Amir S, Pfaus JG

Psychopharmacology2025

DOI: 10.1007/s00213-025-06786-y PMID: 40232387

04

Effects of chronodisruption and alcohol consumption on gene expression in reward-related brain areas in female rats.

Meyer C, Schoettner K, Amir S

Frontiers in molecular neuroscience2024Senior author

DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1493862 PMID: 39624490

05

Sexually dimorphic role of circadian clock genes in alcohol drinking behavior.

de Zavalia N, Ferraro S, Amir S

Psychopharmacology2023Senior author

DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06247-w PMID: 36184679

06

The effects of circadian desynchronization on alcohol consumption and affective behavior during alcohol abstinence in female rats.

Meyer C, Schoettner K, Amir S

Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience2022Senior author

DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1044783 PMID: 36620855

07

Characterization of Affective Behaviors and Motor Functions in Mice With a Striatal-Specific Deletion of Bmal1 and Per2.

Schoettner K, Alonso M, Button M, Goldfarb C, Herrera J, Quteishat N, Meyer C, Bergdahl A, Amir S

Frontiers in physiology2022Senior author

DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.922080 PMID: 35755440

08

Thermoregulatory significance of immobility in the forced swim test.

Nadeau BG, Marchant EG, Amir S, Mistlberger RE

Physiology & behavior2022

DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113709 PMID: 35065081

09

Bmal1 in the striatum influences alcohol intake in a sexually dimorphic manner.

de Zavalia N, Schoettner K, Goldsmith JA, Solis P, Ferraro S, Parent G, Amir S

Communications biology2021Senior author

DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02715-9 PMID: 34702951

10

In utero Exposure to Valproic-Acid Alters Circadian Organisation and Clock-Gene Expression: Implications for Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Ferraro S, de Zavalia N, Belforte N, Amir S

Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience2021Senior author

DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.711549 PMID: 34650409

Sleep and Circadian Misalignment and their Relation to Cardiometabolic Health during Adolescence

Co-investigatorCIHR2020Project Grant

Principal investigators: McGrath, Jennifer J

Keywords: Adolescents; Cardiometabolic; Children; Circadian; Diabetes; Hypertension; Metabolic Syndrome; Obesity; Pediatric; Sleep

$1,445,851

Regulation of circadian behavioral and molecular functioning by chronic social isolation stress

Principal investigatorNSERC2019Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Amir, Shimon

$240,000

The role of striatal clock genes in depression and anxiety-like behaviors

Nominated PICIHR2018Project Grant

Principal investigators: Amir, Shimon

Keywords: Avv-Cre; Circadian Rhythms; Clock Genes; Cre-Lox Recombination; Depression And Anxiety-Like Behavior; Electrophysiology; Medium Spiny Neurons; Mice; Striatum; Targeted Gene Deletion

$745,875

CREATE in Complex Dynamics: Accelerating discoveries in brain and behaviour

Co-investigatorNSERC2017Collaborative Research and Training Experience

Principal investigators: Palmer, Caroline

$1,650,000

Dopamine in circadian control and behavioral modulation of clock gene rhythms in mammalian striatum

Nominated PICIHR2015Operating Grant

Principal investigators: Amir, Shimon

Keywords: Amphetamine; Behavior; Circadian Clock; Circadian Rhythm; Dopamine; Immunohistochemistry; Period2; Pharmacology; Restricted Feeding; Striatum

$651,336

Dopamine regulation of clock gene expression in the dorsal striatum; Relevance to Parkinson's disease.

SupervisorCIHR2013Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Principal investigators: Frederick, Ariana

Keywords: Circadian Rhythms; Clock Gene Expresion; Dopamine; Dorsal Striatum; Double Immunohistochemistry; Glutamate; Neurotoxic Cortical Lesions; Parkinson'S Disease; Per2; Sleep-Wake Disturbances

$17,500

Stress regulation of circadian clock gene expression in mammalian forebrain

Principal investigatorNSERC2013Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Amir, Shimon

$165,000

Regulation of limbic forebrain circadian oscillators by stress and glucocorticoids

Principal investigatorNSERC2007Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Amir, Shimon

$209,325

Stress modulation of pacemaker activity and entrainment pathways of the mammalian circadian clock, the suprachiasmatic nucleus

Principal investigatorNSERC2001Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Amir, Shimon

$200,000

Effects of stress on the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus

Principal investigatorNSERC1997Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Amir, Shimon

$132,300

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Psychology
Biochemistry
Psychiatry
Anesthesia
Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology

Co-authors at Concordia University, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Shimon Amir

Biochemistry

35 shared papers, latest 2026

Nahum Sonenberg

Biochemistry

4 shared papers, latest 2019

Tommy Alain

Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology

1 shared papers, latest 2019

Arkady Khoutorsky

Anesthesia

1 shared papers, latest 2013

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their NSERC grant from 2019

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Striatum Dear Professor Amir, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Region-specific Bmal1 deletion in the dorsal striatum alters alcohol consumption in a sex-specific manner." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your NSERC-funded project "Regulation of circadian behavioral and molecular functioning by chronic social isolation stress" (2019), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]

Shimon Amir

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Region-specific Bmal1 deletion in the dorsal striatum alters alcohol consumption in a sex-specific manner.

Circadian clock genes Bmal1 and Per2 in the nucleus accumbens are negative regulators of alcohol-drinking behavior in mice.

Disruptive effects of d-amphetamine on conditioned sexual inhibition in the male rat.

Effects of chronodisruption and alcohol consumption on gene expression in reward-related brain areas in female rats.

Sexually dimorphic role of circadian clock genes in alcohol drinking behavior.

The effects of circadian desynchronization on alcohol consumption and affective behavior during alcohol abstinence in female rats.

Characterization of Affective Behaviors and Motor Functions in Mice With a Striatal-Specific Deletion of Bmal1 and Per2.

Thermoregulatory significance of immobility in the forced swim test.

Bmal1 in the striatum influences alcohol intake in a sexually dimorphic manner.

In utero Exposure to Valproic-Acid Alters Circadian Organisation and Clock-Gene Expression: Implications for Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Sleep and Circadian Misalignment and their Relation to Cardiometabolic Health during Adolescence

Regulation of circadian behavioral and molecular functioning by chronic social isolation stress

The role of striatal clock genes in depression and anxiety-like behaviors

CREATE in Complex Dynamics: Accelerating discoveries in brain and behaviour

Dopamine in circadian control and behavioral modulation of clock gene rhythms in mammalian striatum

Dopamine regulation of clock gene expression in the dorsal striatum; Relevance to Parkinson's disease.

Stress regulation of circadian clock gene expression in mammalian forebrain

Regulation of limbic forebrain circadian oscillators by stress and glucocorticoids

Stress modulation of pacemaker activity and entrainment pathways of the mammalian circadian clock, the suprachiasmatic nucleus

Effects of stress on the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus

Frequent collaborators

Shimon Amir

Nahum Sonenberg

Kai-Florian Storch

Uri Shalev

Tommy Alain

Arkady Khoutorsky