World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Rainer Spanagel

Rainer Spanagel

D-Index & Metrics

Medicine

D-Index
101
Citations
36659
World Ranking
7999
National Ranking
463

Overview

Rainer Spanagel is affiliated with Heidelberg University in Germany and has a research focus primarily in the fields of Neuroscience and Medicine, with substantial contributions to Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Molecular Biology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Clinical Psychology, and Pharmacology.

Their research topics extensively cover Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior, Alcohol Consumption and Health Effects, Epigenetics and DNA Methylation, Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes, Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling, Memory and Neural Mechanisms, and Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research.

Spanagel has published extensively in several scientific venues. Frequent publication outlets include bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) with 21 publications, Translational Psychiatry with 6, Psychopharmacology and Scientific Reports each with 5, and Addiction Biology with 4 publications.

Recent notable papers include the following:

  • "Medical cannabinoids: a pharmacology-based systematic review and meta-analysis for all relevant medical indications" (2022), BMC Medicine
  • "Cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system in reward processing and addiction: from mechanisms to interventions" (2020), Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience
  • "Psilocybin targets a common molecular mechanism for cognitive impairment and increased craving in alcoholism" (2021), Science Advances
  • "A methodological checklist for fMRI drug cue reactivity studies: development and expert consensus" (2022), Nature Protocols
  • "Psilocybin and LSD have no long-lasting effects in an animal model of alcohol relapse" (2020), Neuropsychopharmacology

Spanagel has frequently collaborated with several researchers, including Anita C. Hansson, Marcella Rietschel, Stephanie H. Witt, Marcus W. Meinhardt, and Wolfgang H. Sommer.

Best Publications

  • The dopamine hypothesis of reward: past and current status

    Rainer Spanagel;Friedbert Weiss

  • Opposing tonically active endogenous opioid systems modulate the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway

    Rainer Spanagel;Albert Herz;Toni S. Shippenberg

  • Impaired stress response and reduced anxiety in mice lacking a functional corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1

    Peter Timpl;Rainer Spanagel;Inge Sillaber;Adelheid Kresse

  • Alcoholism: a systems approach from molecular physiology to addictive behavior.

    Rainer Spanagel

  • Behavioural assessment of drug reinforcement and addictive features in rodents: an overview.

    Carles Sanchis-Segura;Rainer Spanagel

  • The IMAGEN study: reinforcement-related behaviour in normal brain function and psychopathology.

    G Schumann;E Loth;T Banaschewski;A Barbot

  • Neuropharmacology of alcohol addiction.

    V Vengeliene;A Bilbao;A Molander;R Spanagel

  • The clock gene Per2 influences the glutamatergic system and modulates alcohol consumption.

    Rainer Spanagel;Gurudutt N Pendyala;Carolina Abarca;Tarek Zghoul

  • Correlated gene expression supports synchronous activity in brain networks

    Jonas Richiardi;Jonas Richiardi;Andre Altmann;Anna-Clare Milazzo;Anna-Clare Milazzo;Catie Chang

  • Stress-induced anhedonia in mice is associated with deficits in forced swimming and exploration.

    Tatyana Strekalova;Rainer Spanagel;Dusan Bartsch;Fritz A Henn

  • The effects of opioid peptides on dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens : an in vivo microdialysis study

    Rainer Spanagel;Albert Herz;Toni S. Shippenberg

  • Cocaine sensitization and reward are under the influence of circadian genes and rhythm.

    Carolina Abarca;Urs Albrecht;Rainer Spanagel

  • Adolescent impulsivity phenotypes characterized by distinct brain networks.

    Robert Whelan;Patricia J Conrod;Patricia J Conrod;Jean-Baptiste Poline;Anbarasu Lourdusamy

  • Regulation of Monoamine Oxidase A by Circadian-Clock Components Implies Clock Influence on Mood

    Gabriele Hampp;Jürgen A. Ripperger;Thijs Houben;Isabelle Schmutz

  • Impaired long-term memory and NR2A-type NMDA receptor-dependent synaptic plasticity in mice lacking c-Fos in the CNS

    Alexander Fleischmann;Oivind Hvalby;Vidar Jensen;Tatyana Strekalova

  • Genome-wide association study of alcohol dependence.

    Jens Treutlein;Sven Cichon;Monika Ridinger;Norbert Wodarz

  • Withdrawal Phenomena and Dependence Syndrome After the Consumption of "Spice Gold"

    Ulrich S. Zimmermann;Patricia R. Winkelmann;Max Pilhatsch;Josef A Nees

  • Anti-craving compounds for ethanol: new pharmacological tools to study addictive processes.

    Rainer Spanagel;Walter Zieglgänsberger

  • Long-term alcohol self-administration with repeated alcohol deprivation phases: an animal model of alcoholism?

    R. Spanagel;S. M. Hölter

  • Cocaine-evoked synaptic plasticity: persistence in the VTA triggers adaptations in the NAc

    Manuel Mameli;Briac Halbout;Cyril Creton;David Engblom

Frequent Co-Authors

Wolfgang H. Sommer
Wolfgang H. Sommer Heidelberg University
Gunter Schumann
Gunter Schumann King's College London
Karl Mann
Karl Mann Heidelberg University
Falk Kiefer
Falk Kiefer Heidelberg University
Anita C. Hansson
Anita C. Hansson Central Institute of Mental Health
Andreas Heinz
Andreas Heinz Charité - University Medicine Berlin
Marcella Rietschel
Marcella Rietschel Heidelberg University
Tomáš Paus
Tomáš Paus University of Toronto
Herta Flor
Herta Flor Heidelberg University

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

For those interested in medicine, online nursing and health degrees offer flexible and accessible routes into rewarding healthcare careers. Many students start their journey with associate or bachelor’s level nursing programs, some of which are considered among the easiest rn program options for newcomers. These programs can provide a faster and more achievable entry point into the healthcare workforce.

Once qualified as a nurse, advancing your education can increase your career opportunities. Today, there are several cheap rn to bsn programs that allow working nurses to earn their bachelor’s degree online while continuing to care for patients.

For those who hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree but are interested in advanced practice, direct entry nurse practitioner programs for non-nurses online can offer a pathway into high-level clinical roles. Ambitious nursing professionals may also consider the online nursing doctorate, which opens doors to leadership, academia, and research positions.

These educational options provide versatile pathways for those passionate about healthcare, making it easier to build a fulfilling and impactful career in medicine through flexible, online study.

Best Scientists Citing Rainer Spanagel

Trending Scientists

Recently Published Articles