I am a senior neuroscience major and communications minor at American University. I have been a member of the AU Psychopharmacology Lab since Spring 2021. This year, I was accepted into the Honors in Neuroscience Program and will be completing my capstone under the mentorship of Dr. Riley.

I became fascinated with animal behavior research when I decided to study neuroscience in college. This interest was strengthened upon meeting Dr. Riley during my freshman year, and was subsequently expanded to include the uses of rodent models in studying the effects of drugs on behavior when I joined the psychopharmacology lab.

During my time in the lab, I have assisted graduate students Hayley Manke and Shihui Huang with projects exploring methylone pre-exposure and drug discrimination learning, respectively. I have also had the opportunity to present Hayley Manke’s research at the 2022 American University Mathias Research Conference. Additionally, Shihui Huang’s research in drug discrimination learning will be the focus of my capstone project.

Following completion of my undergraduate degree, I hope to work in a professional research laboratory. My ultimate goals are to enroll in a neuroscience PhD program and to pursue a career in neuroscience research.