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Neuroscience at AU
The faculty in the Department of Neuroscience are dedicated to increasing basic knowledge of the brain and nervous system with the goal of improving the understanding of mental, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental functioning. The Department offers a Batchelor’s of Science degree as well as a minor in Neuroscience. It is also the administrative home of the interdisciplinary Behavior, Cognition and Neuroscience (BCaN) PhD program and the university-wide Center for Neuroscience and Behavior (CNB). All members of the Department of Neuroscience faculty direct active research programs spanning topics in addiction, decision-making, development, memory, neurohormonal regulation, and nutrition, among others:
Research Labs & Projects
- Behavioral & Neural Homeostasis Lab, Center for Neuroscience & Behavior, and Laboratory for Behavioral & Neural Homeostasis
T. Davidson - Computational & Systems Neuroscience Lab
M. Laubach - Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab
L. Bayet - Developmental Neuroscience Lab
C. Stoodley - Nutritional Neuroscience Lab
K. Holton - Psychopharmacology Lab
A. Riley
Recent Faculty Achievements
Laurie Bayet
- Bayet L. (2022) How infants learn from a world of faces : Implications for racial biases and maskwearing. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences 9, 65-72. doi: 10.1177/23727322211068007.
- 2022-25 BCS-2122961 National Science Foundation. Standard Grant, Cognitive Neuroscience & Developmental Sciences Programs.
- 2022 International Congress of Infant Studies, Distinguished Early Career Contribution Award
Katie Holton
- Holton KF. Micronutrients May Be a Unique Weapon Against the Neurotoxic Triad of Excitotoxicity, Oxidative Stress and Neuroinflammation: A Perspective. Frontiers in Neuroscience, section Neuroenergetics, Nutrition and Brain Health. 2021 Sep; 15:726457. DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.726457.
- Grant from the Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program to conduct a multi-site clinical trial titled, “Confirmation of the Low Glutamate Diet as a Treatment for Gulf War Illness.”
- American University College Dean’s Award for Exceptional Impact.
Alexander Kisner
- Kisner, A., Slocomb, J. E., Sarsfield, S., Gupta, J. F., Kumar, A., Aponte, Y. Electrophysiological properties and projections of lateral hypothalamic parvalbumin positive neurons. PloS ONE. 13(6): e0198991. (2018). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198991.
- Submitted a Young Investigator Grant application to Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (NARSAD). Role: PI
- Fellows Award in Research Excellence (FARE Award) National Institutes of Health
Mark Laubach
- Amarante, L. M., & Laubach, M. (2021). Coherent theta activity in the medial and orbital frontal cortices encodes reward value. eLife, 10, e63372.
- White SR, Laubach M. The rostral medial frontal cortex is crucial for engagement in consummatory behavior. Behavioral neuroscience, 10.1037/bne0000523. Advance online publication.
- NSF grant for “The Open Behavior Project”
- 2021: Founding co-organizer of Gordon Research Conference on the Frontal Cortex Inaugural meeting August, 2022 in Ventura, CA
Anthony Riley
- Riley, A., Manke, H., and Huang, S. Impact of the aversive effects of drugs on their use and abuse. Behavioural Neurology, 2022, 8634176 , 1-27. doi: 10.1155/2022/8634176
- PI, Riley, A.L. "Effects of methylone history on the aversive and rewarding properties of MDPV and a-PVP", National Institute of Drug Abuse.
- College on Problems of Drug Dependence Mentorship Award, 2022.
Colin Saldanha
- Saldanha, CJ. (2022). Spatial and Temporal Specificity of Neuroestradiol provision in the songbird. J. Neuroendocrinology.
- 2021 (PI) IOS 2050260 (NSF) Targeted neurosteroidogenesis and complex memory function.
Catherine Stoodley
- Stoodley C.J. and Tsai P.T. 2021. Adapting predictions for social contexts: The cerebellar contribution to social behaviors. Annual Review of Neuroscience 44:475-493.
- NIH grant: “Cerebellum and autism: Regional specialization for social and executive functions.”
- NIH grant: “Effects of age and lesion location on motor, cognitive and behavioral outcomes in pediatric posterior fossa patients.”
- Named Provost Associate Professor.
Bulletins
Lobes and Robes, a new podcast developed by the Department of Neuroscience in cooperation with the School of Public Affairs, and the Washington College of Law, brings scientists and policymakers together to address some of the most pressing problems of our time.
Terry Davidson has been appointed as a Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience by American University’s Board of Trustees.
Spotlight
Laura Rice
PhD, Behavior, Cognition, and Neuroscience
More about Laura
Since arriving at American University in 2017, Laura Rice (PhD candidate, Behavior, Cognition, and Neuroscience) has been hard at work in the classroom and the laboratory, investigating the role of the cerebellum in autism.
Laura is using a combination of neuroimaging and neuromodulation methods in her research, which suggest that the cerebellum supports features of autism through its role in modulating neural circuits and behaviors. She uses a transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a noninvasive form of neuromodulation, to electrically alter the cerebellum and tune neural circuits and behaviors in adults with and without autism. Her preliminary findings suggest that cerebellar tDCS alters neural circuits that underlie social behaviors in autism.
At American University, I have developed immensely as a scientist through plentiful opportunities to present my research findings, pursue collaborations, earn funding, and attend symposia, conferences, and workshops with the field's leading experts. My mentor, Dr. Catherine Stoodley, has been instrumental to my growth and development as a scientist. She strikes the perfect balance between providing guidance and fostering independence, and she has not only helped me to grow as a scientist, but as a student, teacher, mentor, and human. Her leadership and mentorship have helped me to build resilience and confidence as a woman in STEM.
Student Achievements
Selected Recent Activity
- Riley, A.L., Manke, H.N., Huang, S., (2022). The role of the aversive effects of drugs in their use and abuse. Behavioural Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/8634176
- Kathleen F. Holton, Shalini S. Ramachandra, Sidney L. Murray, Michael Baron, James N. Baraniuk, Effect of the low glutamate diet on inflammatory cytokines in veterans with Gulf War Illness (GWI): A pilot study, Life Sciences, Volume 280, 2021, 119637, ISSN 0024-3205, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119637
More Achievements
Emily Barnes, Catherine Stoodley undergraduate
Best Workshop Presentation by a Graduate Student in the Life Sciences, Marissa Marko, Robyn Mathias Student Research Conference, American University, 2022.
Hayley Manke, Tony Riley’s student
Manke, H.N., Nelson, K.H., Riley, A.L, 2022. The use and abuse of synthetic cathinones (“aka bath salts”). In V.R. Preedy and V.B. Patel (Eds.), The Handbook of Substance Misuse and Addictions. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67928-6_167-1
CPDD: Early Career Member Committee – Excellence in Preclinical Work by a Pre-Doctoral Researcher (Summer 2022)
Jazelle Pilat
Accepted and participated in an NIH funded Training Course in fMRI at University of Michigan, summer 2022
IMBES NSF funded travel award
Jensen Palmer
Awarded a Cosmos Scholar Grant 2022
Attended the GRC Frontal Cortex 2022 where I presented on my project titled "Rostral medial frontal cortex and decision making: Effects of reversible inactivation, mu opioids, and HIV-1 tat"
Kira Ashton
SIGMA XI. Grant in Aid of Research (Spring 2022 cycle)
Laura Rice
Outstanding Scholarship at the Graduate Level, Laura Rice, American University, 2022.
Marissa Marko
Center for Neuroscience and Behavior Research Summer Award
“Cerebellar Modulation of reading speed and accuracy” poster presentation at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society
Nina Ardabili
"Modified sawhorse waveform for the voltametric detection of Oxytocin". Journal of The Electrochemical Society.
Olivia Dragovits, CAS Neuroscience – Terry Davidson student
American University Student Award for Outstanding Achievement in Undergraduate Research, 2022.
awarded first place for her research presentation in the NASA DC Space Grant Consortium student research competition
Samantha White
Published findings related to her dissertation in an eNeuro article, which was then featured by the journal as a noteworthy publication (April 2021). (Swanson, White et al (2021))
Received a Cosmos Scholarship Award from the Cosmos Club Foundation in support of her dissertation work (January 2021).
Shihui Huang
Bowman, S.K., Huang, S., Vasquez, M.E., Rice, K.C., Riley, A.L. (2022). Impact of fluoxetine pre-exposure on MDMA-induced taste avoidance in male and female rats (accepted for publication in Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology).
Riley, A.L., Manke, H.N., Huang, S., (2022). The role of the aversive effects of drugs in their use and abuse. Behavioural Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/8634176
Travel Award, The 14th Annual Behavior, Biology & Chemistry (BBC) Meeting.
Sydney Murray
Kathleen F. Holton, Shalini S. Ramachandra, Sidney L. Murray, Michael Baron, James N. Baraniuk, Effect of the low glutamate diet on inflammatory cytokines in veterans with Gulf War Illness (GWI): A pilot study, Life Sciences, Volume 280, 2021, 119637, ISSN 0024-3205, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119637.
Summer Research Award from CNB (2022)
CAS Travel Award (2022)
PhD Student Talks Neuroscience Outreach at AU
