User:Sofianeuroendocrinology

Introduction

I am an undergraduate at the University of Notre Dame. I am pursuing my B.S. in Neuroscience and Behavior, and am set to graduate in May 2019.

Research Experience

My research experience is in the role of stress in habit use and goal-directed behavior. During the summer of 2017, I was an Amgen Scholar at the National Institutes of Health, where I worked in a lab at the National Institutes of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. I used immunohistochemistry to map the anatomy of a brain projection from the Central Nucleus of the Amygdala (CeA) to the Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta (SNc) in mice. I then used optogenetics to manipulate this projection in vivo, and performed tests to identify some behaviors mediated by inputs from the CeA to the SNc.

Future Goals

More broadly, I am interested in researching the effects of trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) as they relate to the neurodevelopment of children of low socioeconomic status. Toward that end, I plan to pursue a PhD in Neuroscience following my graduation from Notre Dame.