Research/Areas of Interest:
I am probing the role of state-modulated behaviors through examining how stressors during development alter the signaling cascades in regions (i.e. ventral tegmental area, basolateral amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex) known to regulate motivated behaviors. The goal of this work is to provide a model for how psychiatric disorders, such as substance use disorders, may emerge through improper engagement of network communication.
Education
BS, Biopsychology, University of California - Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
PhD, Neuroscience, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA