The opioid epidemic is a significant public health crisis in the United States with a growing number of overdoses related to illicit opioids such as fentanyl. Ohio, in particular, has been greatly affected. One of the neural circuits implicated in opioid-related behaviors is the mesolimbic dopamine system –a reward pathway involving the ventral tegmental area […]
C14: The Effects of Early Life Stress on Alcohol Drinking Behavior in Mice
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex psychiatric disorder affected by both genetic and environmental factors (Mayfield et al., 2008; Tawa et al., 2016; Young-Wolff et al., 2011). One such environmental variable that strongly correlates to the development of AUD and alcohol abuse is early life stress (ELS) (Guinle & Sinha, 2020; Sinha, 2001). ELS […]
C12: The Effects of Sucrose on Chat-MOR Knockout Mice in an Operant Conditioning Chamber
The mesolimbic dopamine pathway is important for reward and motivation. However, neurobiological mechanisms behind these behaviors are complicated. This animal study gives us insight about how such mechanisms work. Here, we test how mu opioid receptors (MORs) expressed on cholinergic interneurons mediate the reward seeking behaviors for a natural reward (sucrose) to investigate the possible […]
C11: Testing a Novel Ligand for Non-dreadd Mediated Effects
The aim of this study is to lay the foundation for the development of a novel paradigm to study the effects of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) released from the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) on fear and anxiety responses in rodents. The BNST is a stress-responsive, sexually dimorphic brain region and repeated, low-level activation […]
C10: Age-Related Differences in Rat Behavioral Responses to Psilocybin
The prevalence of adolescent depression is at an all-time high. Pharmacological treatments are similar to adults but elicit different—and oftentimes adverse—consequences in adolescents, including anxiety and suicidal ideations. Thus, significant demand exists for improved therapeutic interventions for this age group. Psilocybin, a serotonergic agonist, has demonstrated potential for therapeutic efficacy in adulthood; however, its effects […]
C09: The Effects of Psilocybin on Maternal Behavior
Certain psychiatric medications, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), can be harmful during pregnancy and the postnatal period, having been shown to lead to birth defects and reduce helpful maternal behaviors. These factors may require birthing parents to temporarily stop taking such medications, but ceasing them may pose a risk to the parent. This presents […]
C08: Literature Review of Interprofessional Education in Psychology
Interprofessional Education, IPE, is a method of improving the way that healthcare professionals can offer treatment to their patients by teaching them how to work together in a more collaborative and effective way. Specifically, this review is looking at interprofessional education that includes psychology professionals working with other fields of healthcare. This project consists of […]
C07: Inject Money into Harm Reduction: The Life and Cost Saving Powers of Syringe Services Programs (SSPs)
For this research project, I interned at Syringe Services Programs (SSPs) throughout Butler County in collaboration with the Butler County General Health District. SSPs help provide people in need with sterile syringes, injection equipment, naloxone, and fentanyl test strips. They also help link people in need to rehabilitation facilities and reduce the spread of infectious […]
C06: Bridging The Gap: The Importance of Innovation Specific and General Capacities in After-School Programming
This project is a result of my global health immersion experience that I completed in the after-school program at the Oyler School in Cincinnati. After School programs are developed in the early 1900s as a result of social concerns for the safety and care of children living in unsafe neighborhoods, and as a result of […]
C04: Retinoic Acid Signaling Promotes Ventral Aorta Development in Zebrafish
Developmental birth defects emerge due to abnormalities in the formation and growth of embryonic tissues. Congenital heart defects are the most common developmental defect in humans. This condition can affect the tissue within the heart and the surrounding greater vessels. Zebrafish are used to study these defects because their anatomy provides a similar and simpler […]