I received my Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Auburn University in 2007. While at Auburn, we examined the effects of gestational exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) on dopamine functioning and the ability of exposed rats to adapt their behavior in a changing environment. MeHg-exposed rats exhibited persistent or preservative behaviors, perhaps due to an increased sensitivity to dopamine. In an attempt to rescue these deficits, MeHg rats were chronically exposed to low or high levels of either selenium or DHA. These dietary factors improved performance in rats exposed to low levels of MeHg but had no effect in rats exposed to high levels.

I next joined the University of Minnesota’s Center for Memory Research and Care as a postdoctoral research associate, where I gained valuable experience in biochemistry and molecular biology. We examined the molecular correlates of Alzheimer’s disease, with a particular emphasis on tau and beta-amyloid.

My first project compared the effects of different beta-amyloid oligomers on learning and memory. To do this, we isolated oligomers from transgenic mice and cell culture models and separated the oligomers based on size. We then injected these into the ventricles of rats trained to respond in a learning and memory task.

My second project examined how tau induces early memory deficits and disrupts synaptic plasticity, before synaptic or neuronal loss occurs. We found that tau mislocalizes to the dendritic spine and disrupts the functioning of NMDA and AMPA receptors. This phenomenon is currently being studied in my lab today.

In 2010, I joined WVU as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Behavioral Neuroscience program area where I focus on the synaptic correlates of learning and memory. Future goals include identifying and understanding how dietary factors and aging affect these synaptic correlates.

My hobbies include anything outdoors!