Undergraduate Research
Are you interested in how stress affects the brain and increases the risk of developing substance use disorders, anxiety, and depression? The Neuroendocrinology and Behavior lab led by Dr. Debra Bangasser aims to address these questions using rat models of developmental stress, and approaches such as translational behavioral tasks and molecular neuroscience techniques.
Undergraduates in the lab will get to work on projects determining how early life adversity affects impulsivity, social motivation, and reward in rats, as well as learn approaches to look at how stress changes gene expression and the shape of brain cells. Strong applicants are expected to have an enthusiasm for neuroscience, a willingness to work with rats and rat tissue, and the ability to work on a team; however, prior experience working in an academic lab is not necessary.