I received my PhD in Clinical Psychology from Oklahoma State University and am now completing my post-doctoral training in the Clinical Addictions Research Laboratory under the mentorship of Dr. Andrea King. I am interested in understanding factors that influence engagement in substance use with a focus on nicotine/tobacco products and alcohol as well as brief interventions for health risk behaviors. Additionally, I am interested long-term substance use outcomes in underserved populations and how psychiatric disorders impact substance use behaviors and responses.

Francis Lee is a new postdoctoral NIDA T-32 trainee. He received his PhD from UC Irvine in Sociology focusing on network modeling for HIV research. His current work seeks to examine how stimulant use affects HIV diffusion, treatment, and prevention in Chicago via agent-based network models. This has the potential to better inform policy targets for treatment and prevention in order to achieve a “functional zero” level of HIV incidence by 2030.

I am receiving my Ph.D. training in the lab of Dr. Daniel McGehee, investigating the neural circuitry underlying aversive effects of nicotine exposure, addiction and withdrawal. It is my goal to uncover the biological mechanisms behind mammalian decision making and methods of encouraging individuals to make better choices.

I am receiving my PhD training in Dr. Alfredo Garcia III ‘s lab at the University of Chicago. I am investigating the brainstem circuitry involved in opiate mediated respiratory depression and how environment influences the efficacy of opiates on central mechanisms of breathing. Specifically, I am examining how anticipation of a drug reward turns on reward circuitry and how this leads to tolerance to opiate overdose via respiratory depression.

My research focuses on understanding how the intrinsic excitability of neurons, a fundamental plasticity mechanism, is involved in learning and how it is is altered by neural modulators like dopamine and acetylcholine. I address these questions by studying the complex learned behavior of songbirds, and performing exvivo electrophysiology experiments alongside pharmacology.

I am receiving my PhD training in Dr. Xiaoxi Zhuang’s lab at the University of Chicago. My research focuses on how the loss of dopaminergic signaling can lead to long-term changes in basal ganglia circuitry. I am also interested in how this rewiring affects motor learning and behavior.

I received my PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin. Now I am completing my post doc in the Clinical Addictions Research Laboratory at the University of Chicago.  I am interested in understanding the psychological and neuropharmacological effects of drugs of abuse, and how these effects may contribute to the development of drug dependency in individuals. Additional interests include the role of gender in the subjective effects of drugs and the therapeutic potential of THC, MDMA, and psilocybin in psychiatric disorders, such as depression and PTSD.

I received my PhD in Genetics under Dr. Xiaoxi Zhuang at the University of Chicago. My research in post-doctoral training focuses on understanding the role of dopamine in reward, foraging decision-making, and fitness. I am also interested in exploring other genetic factors that may affect the decision-making process in a foraging environment.