Collegiate Affiliation
Psychology
Links
Fraser Lab

I am a behavioral and systems neuroscientist interested in motivational processes that promote reward seeking and punishment avoidance. One of the primary focuses of my work is the ability of contexts or states to regulate our desires and support adaptive behavior. Research in the lab routinely makes use of a variety of techniques such as in vivo electrophysiology, fiber photometry, calcium imaging, and optogenetics that are well-suited for understanding the precise computations and mechanisms that allow for behavioral flexibility. We primarily focus on neurobiological systems that converge on the striatum as targets for our work. Our overarching goal is to understand the neural substrates of contextual control, how this psychological process is disrupted in psychiatric illness, and ultimately strive to identify novel treatments for these disorders.

Educational Background & Specialties
Open Close

Educational Background

  • BS: Neuroscience, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, 2015
  • MA: Psychological & Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, 2017
  • PhD: Psychological & Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, 2021

Specialties

  • associative learning
  • contextual control
  • motivated behavior
  • systems neuroscience
  • dopamine-acetylcholine interactions