I do science, sometimes.
Gourley Lab - Emory University
Social interactions are highly complex behaviors that are necessary for the survival of many species, including rodents. The execution of social behaviors requires the integration of key information regarding internal state, past experience, reward-related decision making, and goal-driven action selection. However, the underlying neural circuitry regulating these behaviors has not been fully resolved. I work in the lab of Dr. Shannon Gourley where my thesis research aims to resolve some of these circuits, specifically in the context of how social experiences influence reward-related decision-making and how these processes are disrupted by adolescent social isolation.
Science of Sex Differences - Emory University
With collaborator Dr. Donna Maney, I spearheaded a bibliometric analysis investigating the “Reporting and Misreporting of Sex Differences in the Biological Sciences”. Our findings support the need for continuing efforts to train researchers in how to test for and report sex differences in order to promote rigor and reproducibility in biomedical research. Check out our paper now published in eLife to learn more about our work! Also, check out the eLife Insight commentary spotlighting our paper!.
Gereau Lab - WashU in St. Louis
Over the course of two summers, I investigated the endocannabinoid system in the context of both cannabis and opioid withdrawal in mice. I piloted a behavioral pharmacology project studying cannabis dependence in order to characterize the negative somatic and affective effects that emerge after attempted cessation and contribute to relapse. Additionally, I evaluated cannabinoid administration on oxycodone withdrawal to investigate the ability of cannabinoid-opioid interactions to suppress somatic opioid withdrawal behaviors and explored the locus coeruleus as a potential neuroanatomical substrate mediating this effect.
Duncan Lab - Vassar College
My research addressed the role of steroids in mediating neuroprotection following traumatic brain injury (TBI) in zebra finches. Previous studies in the lab have shown that brain-derived steroids are upregulated following injury and play neuroprotective roles by decreasing cell death and increasing neurogenesis. However, the existing preclinical TBI literature only models cisgender individuals; it’s unclear how transgender hormone replacement therapy would affect TBI repair. To begin addressing this disparity, I used molecular techniques to investigate the effects of androgen availability on neuroinflammation following TBI to begin piloting a preliminary model for adult transgender hormone replacement therapy in zebra finches.