About
I received my B.S. in Behavioral Neuroscience from Rider University. I earned my Ph.D. in Biology at Johns Hopkins University in the laboratory of Samer Hattar and conducted my postdoctoral work at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the laboratory of Scott Thompson.
Research interests
The brain continuously processes a diverse array of information, and plasticity of and interactions between specific neuronal circuits are critical regulators of physiology and behavior. This allows organisms to respond to stimuli or changes in the environment and is essential for regulating physiology and behavior. Our goal is to understand how plasticity within neuronal circuits modulates complex behaviors. To tackle this broad goal, we focus on reward related behaviors given their evolutionary importance for survival and the prevalence of symptoms associated with reward in psychiatric disorders. We aim to understand how plasticity of and interactions between specific neuronal circuits integrate information to properly regulate reward related behaviors and how alterations may contribute to psychiatric disorders. Our research program employs a multilevel strategy, from synapses to behavior, combining electrophysiology, imaging, and behavior in mice to understand the neuronal circuit mechanisms responsible for integrating information to regulate behavior.
Teaching interests
My teaching interests include neuroscience ranging from the function of synapses to the regulation of behavior. I am also interested in helping trainees build skills that will be critical for their success as future scientists including communication, experimental design, and hypothesis testing.
Education
- Postdoc — University of Maryland School of Medicine (2019)
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Ph D, Biology
— Johns Hopkins University (2013) Light as a major regulator of behavior and physiology in mammals
- BS, Behavioral Neuroscience — Rider University (2007)
Publications
- Heterosynaptic Interactions between the Dorsal and Ventral Hippocampus in Individual Medium Spiny Neurons of the Nucleus Accumbens Ventromedial Shell 2026
- Sex differences in antidepressant efficacy. 2019
- Reward behaviour is regulated by the strength of hippocampus-nucleus accumbens synapses. 2018
- Long-Term Potentiation Requires a Rapid Burst of Dendritic Mitochondrial Fission during Induction. 2018
- Wnt5a is essential for hippocampal dendritic maintenance and spatial learning and memory in adult mice. 2017
- An LHX1-Regulated Transcriptional Network Controls Sleep/Wake Coupling and Thermal Resistance of the Central Circadian Clockworks. 2017
- Motor neuron disease, TDP-43 pathology, and memory deficits in mice expressing ALS-FTD-linked UBQLN2 mutations. 2016
- Rapid Antidepressant Action and Restoration of Excitatory Synaptic Strength After Chronic Stress by Negative Modulators of Alpha5-Containing GABAA Receptors. 2015
- An excitatory synapse hypothesis of depression. 2015
- Light as a central modulator of circadian rhythms, sleep and affect. 2014
- Lhx1 controls terminal differentiation and circadian function of the suprachiasmatic nucleus. 2014
- Aberrant light directly impairs mood and learning through melanopsin-expressing neurons. 2012
- Measuring circadian and acute light responses in mice using wheel running activity. 2011
- Accelerated re-entrainment to advanced light cycles in BALB/cJ mice. 2009
- Circadian and light effects on mood regulation 2009
- Rods-cones and melanopsin detect light and dark to modulate sleep independent of image formation. 2008
- Physical restraint induces conditioned place aversion and region-specific c-Fos activation in mice
- Synaptic Actions of Estradiol in the Brain’s Reward System: Linking Mechanisms to Behavior and Disease
- Alcohol-dependent disruption of long-term potentiation at hippocampus-medium spiny neuron synapses in the medial shell of the nucleus accumbens