People - Project 3

I am in the Pharmacology and Toxicology graduate group. I completed my undergraduate education at Tufts University in Massachusetts. As an undergraduate I was introduced to the field of pharmacology through my thesis project exploring the interaction between stress and ethanol abuse. I worked for two years as a technician in the Tufts-AstraZeneca Laboratory for Basic and Translational Neuroscience. My research in the Lein Lab involves the assessment of neuroprotective strategies against intoxication with organophosphates.

I grew up in Sacramento and developed a lot of interest in pharmacology during the last year of my undergraduate program at UC Davis. I’m interested in neuropharmacology and the way hallucinogenic and industrial compounds affect signaling networks. I joined the Lein Lab in the Spring of 2019 working with spatiotemporal profiles of biomarkers related to seizurogenic compound exposure.

My research as part of the CounterACT project involves investigating novel neuroprotectants following acute exposures to organophosphates, which are powerful acetylcholinesterase inhibitors or the rodenticide TETS which blocks GABAA receptors in the central nervous system.

I am a graduate student in the Pharmacology and Toxicology Graduate Group. Prior to attending graduate school, I spent 8 years in the US Navy where I realized that more research was needed on how prescription drugs or chemical exposure can alter the behavior of humans. I returned to university in 2013 to study the biology and psychology of the brain at Washington State University. I joined the Lein Lab in 2016 to continue learning about how drug or chemical exposure can affect the brain to alter behavior or produce neuropathology.

Dr. Chaudhari's lab develops and validates novel medical imaging techniques, focusing on diseases of the musculoskeletal and neurological systems. The research group utilizes a range of imaging modalities that include MRI, PET, SPECT, CT, ultrasound, and optical imaging, in both preclinical and clinical settings.

My interest in biomedical research began with my undergraduate training in environmental and molecular toxicology. I have since been trained in neurotoxicology and neuropharmacology as a doctoral student working under Dr. Pamela Lein. The CounterACT program has allowed me to combine my passions for toxicology, public health, and national security by applying my knowledge of toxicology to counterterrorism research against chemical weapons.

Dr. Brad Hobson is a project scientist at the Center for Molecular and Genomic Imaging, and alumnus of the Lein Lab. His research within the CounterACT program focuses on investigating the long term neurological consequences of acute organophosphate (OP) intoxication using in vivo imaging.

At Northern Kentucky University, I earned a B.S. in chemistry and a minor in criminalistics. As an undergraduate, I began to develop my skills as a chemist, while taking courses to join the field of forensic science. I worked in an organic chemistry lab focusing on synthesis of macrocyclic compounds. After graduation, I worked in an analytical chemistry lab determining the concentrations of active ingredients in skin and hair care products.