Research Interests

My primary research interests lie in characterizing sex differences in alcohol-seeking and -taking behaviors using preclinical rodent models, and more specifically, the role of social context in these maladaptive behaviors.

Research Interests

I am interested in how drugs of abuse affect the brain and behavior in the short- and long-term. I am currently studying the role of protein translation in cue-induced motivation.

Research Interests

My research interests are focused on understanding the neural circuitry behind punished drug seeking behavior. I currently use DRD1 and A2A transgenic animals to optogenetically activate different neural populations during cocaine and methamphetamine self-administration behavior.    

Research Interests

I'm interested in the effects of factors such as genetics, diet and the gut microbiome on neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease and Multiple Sclerosis.  

Research Interests

Broadly, I am interested in investigating and identifying adolescent vulnerability factors for  adult psychological illnesses such as addiction disorders using translational in vivo electrophysiological recordings. Using these same techniques, I am also interested in understanding the consequences of adolescent drug use on adult neural functioning.

Research Interests

My research primarily focuses on two topics: the neurotoxicity of addictive drugs and the co-occurrence of substance use disorders. Specifically, I am interested in the neurotoxic effects of methamphetamine and underlying genetic influences, and the combined effects of alcohol and methamphetamine.

Research Interests

I use multiple human neuroimaging techniques in order to understand and minimize declines in cognitive ability while we age. Currently, I am doing work to elucidate how decreasing vascular health in the brain propagates to decreased cognitive function.