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NameEmailPhD ProgramResearch InterestPublications
Smith, Audrey

EMAIL

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Behavior, Cell Biology, Neurobiology

“I am interested in neuroscience research that delves into the molecular mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders, addiction, and neurodevelopmental disorders. I am particularly interested in how stressors affect the progression of these mechanisms.”

Masters, Brianna

EMAIL

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Behavior, Neurobiology, Pharmacology

“I am interested in studying the molecular mechanisms of addiction and addictive behaviors. Specifically, I an interested in studying how alterations in neural signaling pathways contribute to Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), or opioid use disorder.”

Echeveste Sanchez, Maria

EMAIL

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Behavior, Neurobiology, Pharmacology

“I am interested in studying the neural mechanisms behind motivated behavior. More specifically I would like to study how changes in these mechanisms contribute to maladaptive behavior seen in addiction.”

Lischinsky, Julieta
WEBSITE
EMAIL
PUBLICATIONS

PHD PROGRAM
Neuroscience

RESEARCH INTEREST
Behavior, Brain Development, Neurobiology, Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Innate social behaviors, including aggression and mating, are crucial for survival and propagation and are therefore shared across species. In the Lischinsky lab we aim to elucidate the developmental, cellular and circuit underpinnings for social behaviors and how these mechanisms are disrupted due to environmental stressors and in neurodevelopmental disorders. We use complimentary tools to study cell identity, function, circuit connectivity, neuromodulation and behavior in the limbic system and beyond during postnatal development, from infancy to adulthood, across sexes.

Circo, Bella

EMAIL

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Behavior, Cell Signaling, Pharmacology

“Focusing within the field of Neuroscience I am interested in: Substance Use Disorders, Behavior, Optogenetics, Chemogenetics, Rodent Model, Self-Administration paradigm.”

Girault, Jessica
WEBSITE
EMAIL
PUBLICATIONS

PHD PROGRAM
Neuroscience

RESEARCH INTEREST
Behavior, Brain Development, Genetics, Neurodevelopmental Disorders

We are a lab using state-of-the art neuroimaging techniques to study brain development and its links to emerging cognition and behavior in young infants and children. We study both typically developing infants and those at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder. We are particularly interested in how family study designs can help us understand genetic influences on brain development.

Vetreno, Ryan

EMAIL
PUBLICATIONS

PHD PROGRAM
Neuroscience, Pharmacology

RESEARCH INTEREST
Addiction/Alcohol Research, Aging/Alzheimer's, Behavior, Biochemistry, Brain Development, Developmental Biology, Disease, Epigenetics & Chromatin Biology, Immunology, Microbiome, Molecular Biology, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Neurobiology, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Neuropharmacology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Regenerative Medicine

My research interests involve investigation of proinflammatory neuroimmune and epigenetic mechanisms in animal models of developmental neurobiology and neurodegeneration, including (1) alcohol pharmacology, (2) alcohol responsivity and tolerance, (3) adolescent neurodevelopment, (4) cholinergic system and neurocircuitry, (5) microglial function, and (6) Alzheimer’s disease. A major focus of the laboratory is elucidation of neuroimmune and epigenetic mechanisms underlying adolescent binge alcohol-induced disruption of basal forebrain cholinergic neurocircuitry in adulthood. A second major focus of the laboratory is investigation of lasting adolescent binge drinking-induced neuroimmune priming as a novel etiological factor contributing to the onset and progression of basal forebrain neuropathology in Alzheimer’s disease. Our laboratory combines ex vivo and in vivo rodent models of alcohol abuse and Alzheimer’s disease with innovative molecular techniques.

Williams, Morika
WEBSITE
EMAIL
PUBLICATIONS

PHD PROGRAM
Neuroscience, Pathobiology & Translational Science

RESEARCH INTEREST
Behavior, Neurobiology, Pharmacology, Physiology, Translational Medicine

Early life and adult pain can have drastic effects on neurodevelopment and overall quality of life. In the Williams’ Pain, Aging, and Interdisciplinary Neurobehavioral (P.A.I.N.) Lab, our research focuses on behavioral neuroscience and the mechanisms of neurobiology and neurophysiology of pain processing, with a special emphasis on the neonatal. The ultimate research goal is to better understand, recognize, and alleviate pain in the newborn to improve the quality of life in adulthood by uncovering new assessment tools and interventional strategies. Our research interests include the mechanisms of neurobiology and neurophysiology of pain processing, neonatal pain, chronic pain, neurobehavior, osteoarthritis, translational medicine, anesthesia/analgesics, and evoked and non-evoked pain assessment tools. The P.A.I.N. Lab has both pre-clinical and clinical studies to help close the gap in translation.

Hantman, Adam

EMAIL
PUBLICATIONS

PHD PROGRAM
Cell Biology & Physiology, Neuroscience

RESEARCH INTEREST
Behavior, Neurobiology, Physiology

The Hantman Lab is interested in how functions emerge from network activity in the nervous system. Particularly, we study how the nervous system generates patterns of activity that control our bodies in the world. Our approach combines genetics, anatomy, physiology, perturbations, and a dynamical systems approach.

Christoffel, Dan
WEBSITE
EMAIL
PUBLICATIONS

PHD PROGRAM
Neuroscience

RESEARCH INTEREST
Behavior, Neurobiology, Physiology, Translational Medicine

Dr. Christoffel aims to understand how chronic exposure to particular stimuli (i.e. stress, food, drugs) alters the functioning of specific neural circuits and investigates the mechanisms that regulate these experience-dependent changes. Current studies focus on 1) how experience-dependent plasticity in the nucleus accumbens regulates reward processing, with a focus on the consumption of palatable foods and stress modulation of food intake, and 2) examine the regulatory role of neuromodulators in hedonic feeding.

The ultimate goal of the Christoffel Lab’s research is to understand how adaptive changes in brain function occur and how this can lead to the development of psychiatric disorders. We employ cutting-edge technologies to understand the complex interactions of multiple neural systems that allow us to adapt to our environment and regulate motivated behavior.