TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

Alumni of NIDA IRP Training Programs

Postbaccalaureate Students

• Zoan Afanador, graduate student, Department of Public Health, George Washington University. Ms. Afanador was a postbaccalaureate student in the Development and Plasticity Section under the mentorship of Dr. Elin Lehrmann from 2004 to 2007. Her research involved establishing diagnosis for post-mortem specimens, by examining and compiling case records, toxicological data, and other sources of information.
  
  Ms. Afanador: "While working at NIDA, I received first-hand mentorship in the skills required for lab work. As a result, I gained a deep understanding of the mechanisms hidden behind this endeavor, which allowed me to investigate the detrimental and multidimensional effects of drug and alcohol abuse. This exposure led me to continue my educational journey into the field of public health. I now hold admiration and respect for the individuals, families, and communities working towards sobriety. I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity given to me at NIDA."
• Rose Amable, dental student, New York University College of Dentistry.  Ms. Amable was a postbaccalaureate student in the Development and Plasticity Section under the mentorship of Drs. Xianmin Zeng and Chun Ting Lee from 2004 to 2008.  Her research involved examining the molecular effects of cocaine in differentiation of the AF5 neural progenitor cell line, in human embryonic stem cells (hESC), and in differentiated hESC cultures.
• Sharon Chen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan. Dr. Chen was a predoctoral student in the Neuroimaging Branch under the mentorship of Dr. Yihong Yang from 2004 to 2007. She developed an independent component analysis method to assess the consistency of fMRI resting-state functional connectivity over multiple sessions
• Steven Demny, graduate student, School of Business, University of Maryland. Mr. Demny was a postbaccalaureate student in the Neuroimaging Branch under the mentorship of Dr. Elliot Stein from 2005 to 2007. He developed techniques for performing rat fMRI data analysis in the stereotaxic framework and real-time functional imaging for neuropharmacological studies.
• Christi A. Evans, graduate student, Department of Neuroscience, University of Southern California. Ms. Evans was a postbaccalaureate student in the Development and Plasticity Section under the mentorship of Drs. Elin Lehrmann from 2007 to 2008.  Her research involved measurement of cellular and gene expression changes following exposure to drugs of abuse by histological and microarray analysis.
  
  Ms. Evans: "Working at NIDA was an incredible opportunity that exposed me to groundbreaking research and new lab techniques. The experience helped me significantly to get into a graduate program and gave me the confidence necessary to work independently. Anyone considering a career in research should seriously consider this opportunity. It was a great way to meet people and an excellent chance to test out research as a potential career."
• Rebecca Evans, graduate student, Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Ms. Evans was a postbaccalaureate student in the Nicotine Psychopharmacology Section under the mentorship of Dr. Stephen Heishman from 2006 to 2008. Her research was on the role of duration of tobacco abstinence on cue-elicited tobacco craving.
  
  Ms. Evans: "As a post-baccaulareate research trainee I gained valuable hands on clinical laboratory research experience as well as mentorship from highly skilled and experienced researchers in the field of drug abuse.  This helped me gain insight into the the reseach environment and put me on the path towards getting my doctoral degree in public health with a focus on substance abuse prevention."
• Emily K. Gabitzsch, graduate student, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas at Houston.  Ms. Gabitzsch was a postbaccalaureate student in the Development and Plasticity Section under the mentorship of Dr. Jia Chen from 2007 to 2008.  Her research involved experiments to produce human dopaminergic neurons from embryonic stem cells.
  
  Ms. Gabitzsch: "My training was a fantastic experience. At NIDA, I consistently felt supported in all of my endeavors and encouraged and inspired for future directions. After working on basic research with implications for individuals with neurodegenerative disease, my project oriented me toward translating research to patients."
• Gloria Gallegos, Psy.D., postdoctoral fellow, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California-Davis Medical Center.  Dr. Gallegos was a postbaccalaureate student in the Development and Plasticity Section under the mentorship of Dr. Elin Lehmann from 2003 to 2004.  Her research involved postmortem assessment of drug abuse cases for the purpose of improving the National Institutes of Mental Health brain bank collection to allow for more extensive use by NIDA for postmortem studies of effects of abused drugs.
  
  Dr. Gallegos: "My experience as a postbaccalaureate IRTA was invaluable to my professional, personal, and career development. My experience at NIDA provided me with a solid foundation, understanding, and appreciation for gathering empirical evidence that underlies clinical application and biological bases of behavior, which I often draw from in my current clinical work. I often reflect on my time at NIH and appreciate how it has greatly impacted my understanding of the research process."
• Leah Gitajn, medical student, University of Maryland School of Medicine. Ms. Gitajn was a postbaccalaureate student in the Neuroimaging Branch under the mentorship of Dr. Elliot Stein from 2004 to 2006. She was involved in an animal MRI project to use develop manganese as a novel contrast agent.
  
  Ms. Gitajn: "My experience at the IRP helped me to develop skills in designing and planning research studies and in reading journals critically. These skills have served me during medical school and will throughout my career.  It was a great opportunity to work with brilliant scientists, and it cultivated an interest in continuing to contribute to science."
• Sarah Gray, graduate student, Department of Neuroscience, Yale University. Ms. Gray was a postbaccalaureate student in the Neurobiology of Relapse Section under the mentorship of Dr. Yavin Shaham from 2004 to 2006. Her research involved the role of stress hormones in relapse to palatable food seeking.
  
  Ms. Gray: "I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to work as an IRTA and feel it prepared me well for graduate school. Being an IRTA also opened my eyes to how difficult research can be, especially when things are not working, so I was not so shocked with how difficult graduate school was at times. If you are thinking about getting a PhD in science, you should definitely be an IRTA first!"
• Adrienne Heinz, graduate student, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago. Ms. Heinz was a postbaccalaureate student in the Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics Branch under the mentorship of Drs. Kenzie Preston and Stephen Heishman from 2004 to 2006. Her research involved the role of spirituality in substance abuse treatment and how tobacco deprivation affects rapid visual attention.
  
  Ms. Heinz: "I could not have made a better decision after completing undergrad than to become a postbac at NIDA. I had the opportunity to collaborate with different research and treatment teams and to become familiar with a variety of approaches to scientific questions and clinical problems.  The excellent mentorship I received afforded me the opportunity to present and publish several research projects.  I found the scientific curiosity of the investigators to be very inspiring, and my interests were taken seriously by my mentors.  I firmly believe that the breadth and depth of my professional skill set would not have developed to the extent it did without this training."
• Mikhail Koffarnus, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Koffarnus was a postbaccalaureate student in the Psychobiology Section under the mentorship of Dr. Jonathan Katz from 2003 to 2004.  His research involved identification of a dopamine transporter ligand that blocked the stimulant effects of cocaine.
• Dustin Lee, graduate student, Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky School of Medicine. Mr. Lee was a postbaccalaureate student in the Nicotine Psychopharmacology Section under the mentorship of Dr. Stephen Heishman from 2005 to 2007. His research involved cue-elicited tobacco craving in smokers and nonsmokers.
  
  Mr. Lee: "My two years as a postbaccalaureate IRTA gave me a more informed perspective on the field of behavioral pharmacology.  Working at NIDA allowed me to experience multiple components of the research process, from daily running of protocols to writing and publishing a manuscript.  This experience helped me not only when applying to graduate schools, but also prepared me for the rigors of daily life as a graduate student."
• Gina Marrone, graduate student, Department of Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences. Ms. Marrone was a postbaccalaureate student in the Nicotine Psychopharmacology Section under the mentorship of Dr. Stephen Heishman from 2008 to 2010. Her research involved cue-elicited tobacco craving over time and determining an optimal biochemical cutoff to distinguish smokers and nonsmokers.
  
  Ms. Marrone: "Being an IRTA at NIDA provided a unique opportunity to learn how similar research questions are studied using a variety of methods. I was involved with several collaborations within NIDA in which labs combined their expertise in different research methods to understand the complex effects of drug dependence on the brain and behavior. My experience increased my enthusiasm for translational research and led me to pursue goals I never imagined as an undergraduate."
• Stephanie Matthews, graduate student, Department of Psychiatry, Creighton University Medical Center. Ms. Matthews was a research assistant in the Preclinical Pharmacology Section under the direction of Dr. Steven Goldberg from 2004 to 2006. Her work involved research on how chronic exposure to cannabinoids might affect the reinforcing effects of cocaine.
• Daniel Murphy, medical student, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Mr. Murphy was a postbaccalaureate student in the Clinical Psychopharmacology Section under the mentorship of Dr. Richard Rothman from 2005 to 2006. His research investigated the interactions of salvinorin A at opioid receptors.
• Hailey Kleitz Nelson, graduate student, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University. Ms. Kleitz was a postbaccalaureate student in the Neuroimaging Branch under the mentorship of Dr. Elliot Stein from 2004 to 2005. She was involved in research on methamphetamine neurotoxicology in a collaboration with two other labs.
  
  Ms. Nelson: "During my undergraduate education, I didn't have the research opportunities that many of my peers had. I knew that in order to be competitive to gain acceptance to a top-tier research institution, I needed to have more research training.  NIDA provided just that!  My training gave me skills that set me apart from my classmates.  The research I did at NIDA not only gave me the intellectual and technical tools that I needed to succeed in graduate school (and beyond) but it also helped direct my interests into what is now my dissertation thesis!"
• Sarah Ney, graduate student, Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan. Ms. Ney was a postbaccalaureate student in the Psychobiology Section under the mentorship of Dr. Jonathan Katz in 2009.  She compared the effects of several novel compounds, which might represent low abuse-liability treatments for ADHD, to d-amphetamine and methylphenidate, currenly used to treat ADHD, in several animal models.
• Laura Pappas, M.D., pediatrics resident, Hermosa Beach, CA. Dr. Pappas was a postbaccalaureate stuent in the Preclinical Pharmacology Section under the direction of Dr. Steven Goldberg from 2002 to 2004. Her work involved research on discriminative stimulus effects of adenosine receptor adenosine receptor antagonists.
• Joseph Pariser, medical student, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. Mr. Pariser was a postbaccalaureate student in the Clinical Psychopharmacology Section under the mentorship of Dr. Richard Rothman from 2006 to 2007. His research involved identification of novel inhibitors of amphetamine-induced dopamine release.
  
  Mr. Pariser: "The quality of the research was impressive. I was responsible for designing protocols, conducting experiments, and analyzing data.  I had no research experience before, but the IRTA program sparked an interest in research, and I plan on being involved in research for many years to come."
• John Rutherford, graduate student, Medical Scientist Program, University of Alabama. Mr. Rutherford was a postbaccalaureate student in the Clinical Psychopharmacology Section under the mentorship of Dr. Richard Rothman from 2005 to 2006. His research involved the role of opioid agonists on cellular markers related to opioid tolerance and dependence.
• Elliot Sally, medical student, Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Mr. Sally was a postbaccalaureate student in the Clinical Psychopharmacology Section under the mentorship of Dr. Richard Rothman from 2007 to 2008. His research involved identification of a novel opioid receptor antagonist.
• Cindy Schoen, graduate student, Department of Neuroscience, University of Michigan. Ms. Schoen was a postbaccalaureate student in the Development and Plasticity Section under the mentorship of Dr. Sanchez from 2004 to 2006.  Her research the production of novel neuronal cell lines to facilitate discovery within the laboratory and provide tools and techniques for in vitro research and in vivo therapeutics.
• Clara Scholl, graduate student, Laboratory for Computational Cognitive Neuroscience, Georgetown University. Ms. Scholl was a postbaccalaureate student in the Neuroimaging Branch under the mentorship of Dr. Elliot Stein from 2005 to 2007. Her research involved MRI to explore neural dynamics and pharmacological manipulations in rodent models, including studies of cocaine-induced activation.
• Matthew Schroeder, graduate student, Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University. Mr. Schroeder was a postbaccalaureate student in the Neuroimaging Branch under the mentorship of Dr. Elliot Stein from 2007 to 2009. He designed a task to study the neural correlates via fMRI of altruism and reward in opiate-dependent research volunteers.
  
  Mr. Schroeder: "The postbaccaleureate experience and training I received at NIDA equipped me to succeed in a graduate setting by fostering critical, abstract thinking and enabled me to answer the relevant scientific questions that interest me."
• Dean Shumway, medical student, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. Mr. Shumway was a postbaccalaureate student in the Neuroimaging Branch under the mentorship of Dr. Elliot Stein from 2004 to 2006. He was involved in developing a method for measuring plasma levels of a newly developed PET radioligand that is used to visualize nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in humans and animals.
• Jessica Stroik, medical student, Medical School for International Health, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. Ms. Stroik was a postbaccalaureate student in the Preclinical Pharmacology Section under the direction of Dr. Steven Goldberg from 2005 to 2007. Her work involved research on the role of the cannabinoid system in the reinforcing effects of nicotine.
• Jamie Uejima, medical student, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. Ms. Uejima was a postbaccalaureate student in the Neurobiology of Relapse Section under the mentorship of Dr. Yavin Shaham from 2005 to 2007. Her research was on the role of glutamate synaptic plasticity in incubation of cocaine craving.
• Jessica Willner-Reid, graduate student, Department of Clinical Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London. Ms. Willner-Reid was a postbaccalaureate student in the Treatment Section under the mentorship of Dr. Kenzie Preston from 2006 to 2008. Her research involved laboratory studies of relapse prevention medications and EMA/real-time self-report of drug use and craving.
  
  Ms. Willner-Reid: "I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work at NIDA and to have been involved in such interesting and exciting clinical research.  I gained excellent experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating studies within the field of substance abuse and thoroughly enjoyed working alongside a dedicated team of highly-skilled researchers.  The experience has prepared me for my current doctorate in clinical psychology, in which I am specializing in addictions."
  
• Sierra Webb, graduate student, Department of Psychology, University of California at Santa Barbara. Ms. Webb was a postbaccalaureate student in the Intracranial Injections Unit under the direction of Dr. Satoshi Ikemoto from 2008 to 2010.  Her research involved the role of the glutamate receptors in the median and dorsal raphe nuclei in positive motivational processes.
• Lila T. Worden, medical student, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Ms. Worden was a postbaccalaureate student in the Development and Plasticity Section under the mentorship of Dr. Chun Ting Lee from 2008 to 2009.  Her research involved the effects of cocaine on astrocytes, human neural progenitor cells, and on the development of the central nervous system.
  
• Wesley Wu, Ph.D., postdoctoral Fellow, National Taiwan University, Taiwan. Dr. Wu was a predoctoral student in the Neuroimaging Branch under the mentorship of Dr. Yihong Yang from 2006 to 2008. He investigated fMRI resting-state functional connectivity at a metabolic level.
• Jasmine Yap, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado. Dr. Yap was a postbaccalaureate student in the Neurobiology of Relapse Section under the mentorship of Dr. Yavin Shaham from 1999 to 2001. Her research was on the role of the noradrenergic system in stress-induced reinstatement of drug seeking.
  
  Dr. Yap: "I found my experience in the postbac program to be invaluable. When I joined the program, I was unsure of my career path. My two years in the behavioral neuroscience branch developed in me a love for experimentation and psychopharmacology. When I entered graduate school, I felt well-prepared, thanks to the great mentorship I received at NIDA."
  
  

Postdoctoral Fellows

• Maria Flavia Barbano, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Institute of Cellular Biology and Neuroscience, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Dr. Barbano was a postdoctoral fellow in the Behavioral Neuroscience Section under the mentorship of Dr. Roy Wise in 2009. Her research used a viral vector to study the effects of down-regulation of the vesicular glutamate transporter on intravenous cocaine self-administration.
• Elizabeth Bolan Ph.D., Pharmacologist, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA. Dr. Bolan was a postdoctoral fellow in the Integrative Neuroscience Section under the mentorship of Dr. Toni Shippenberg from 2003 to 2006. Her research involved investigation of the functional modulation and subcellular distribution of the dopamine transporter by various G protein-coupled receptors, including D2 and D3 dopamine receptors and kappa opioid receptors.
• Janus Borycz, Ph.D., Research Associate, Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, Canada. Dr. Borycz was a postdoctoral fellow in the Preclinical Pharmacology Section under the direction of Dr. Steven Goldberg from 2004 to 2006. His work involved research on the neurochemical interactions between glutamate and adenosine in the striatum.
• Jennifer Bossert, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, Neurobiology of Relapse Section, NIDA. Dr. Bossert was a postdoctoral fellow in the Neurobiology of Relapse Section under the mentorship of Dr. Yavin Shaham from 2003-2007. Her research involved the neuroanatomical substrates of context-induced reinstatement of heroin seeking.
  
  Dr. Bossert: "This fellowship gave me the opportunity to expand my knowledge of drug addiction and learn several new behavioral techniques. Not only did I have my own project, but I also assisted with others’ projects in the lab. I look forward to continuing my research as a Staff Scientist and continuing my mentorship of postbaccalaureate and postdoctoral trainees so that their experience will be as rewarding as mine."
• Junran Cao, Ph.D., Research Associate, Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia.  Dr. Cao was a postdoctoral fellow in the Intracranial Injections Unit under the direction of Dr. Satoshi Ikemoto from 2006 to 2008.  Her research involved the role of neuropeptide S in positive motivational processes.
• Hans Crombag, Ph.D., Lecturer, Department of Psychology, University of Sussex, England. Dr. Crombag was a postdoctoral fellow in the Neurobiology of Relapse Section under the mentorship of Dr. Yavin Shaham from 1999 to 2001. His research was on neuronal mechanisms of context-induced reinstatement of drug seeking.
• Stefanie Geisler, M.D., Ph.D., neurology resident, Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Geisler was a postdoctoral fellow in the Behavioral Neuroscience Section under the mentorship of Dr. Roy Wise from 2008 to 2009. Her research investigated the brain regions activated by hunger and food expectancy and the regional specificity of projections from the ventral tegmental area to the striatum.
• Udi Ghitza, Ph.D., Health Scientist Administrator, Center for the Clinical Trials Network, NIDA. Dr. Ghitza was a postdoctoral fellow in the Treatment Section under the mentorship of Dr. Kenzie Preston from 2005 to 2008. His research involved translational studies of relapse prevention based on a preclinical reinstatement model.
• Magda Giordano, Ph.D., Associate Professor and co-Director, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Dr. Giordano was a postdoctoral Fogarty fellow in the Cellular Neurobiology Branch under the mentorship of Dr. William Freed from 1991 to 1994. Her research involved development of genetically modified cell lines for use in transplantation into the CNS.
  
  Dr. Giordano: "I learned new techniques and experimental approaches that allowed me to tackle some of the questions that I had since I was a graduate student. My experience also enabled me to train students. For example, one of my doctoral students went on to work as a postdoctoral fellow in Spain; she is now back in Mexico as an associate professor at a state university. Thus, my training in Dr. Freed’s lab opened a research path for me that has had impact on the next generation of Mexican researchers."
• Ivana Grakalic, Ph.D., Program Director, Division of Neuroscience and Behavior, NIAAA. Dr. Grakalic was a postdoctoral fellow in the Preclinical Pharmacology Section under the direction of Dr. Steven Goldberg from 2002 to 2007. Her work involved research on the involvement of the obitofrontal cortex in cocaine self-administration.
• Jeff Grimm, PhD., Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Western Washington University. Dr. Grimm was a postdoctoral fellow in the Neurobiology of Relapse Section under the mentorship of Dr. Yavin Shaham from 1999 to 2001. His research was on neuronal mechanisms of incubation of cocaine craving.
  
  Dr. Grimm: "At NIDA I was lucky to be mentored by brilliant, dedicated scientists. My mentors helped me to focus on the basic elements of research design, and they also helped me to improve my writing skills. Overall these positive experiences continue to influence my desire to maintain an active research program that includes training student research assistants pursuing careers in drug addiction research."
• Britta Hahn, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Hahn was a postdoctoral fellow in the Neuroimaging Branch under the mentorship of Dr. Elliot Stein from 2003 to 2008. She developed a novel divided attention task to investigate the attentional effects of nicotine using fMRI and demonstrated that nicotine enhanced attention by increasing or engaging the default mode network of the brain.
• Thomas Jhou, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina.  Dr. Jhou was a research fellow in the Intracranial Injections Unit under the direction of Dr. Satoshi Ikemoto from 2008 to 2010.  His research involved the role of rostromedial tegmental nucleus in positive motivational processes.
• Bernard Le Foll, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Departments of Psychiatry, Pharmacology and Family Medicine, University of Toronto. Dr. Le Foll was a postdoctoral fellow in the Preclinical Pharmacology Section under the direction of Dr. Steven Goldberg from 2003 to 2006. His work involved research on the role of dopamine D3 receptors and the cannabinoid system in the reinforcing effects of nicotine.
  
  Dr. Le Foll: "My time as a postdoctoral fellow was very exciting, and I learned a lot. It was critical in my ability to set up my independent laboratory immediately after my training. Because of the many highly skilled scientists, NIDA is an excellent choice for training. I was also able to connect with many scientists and receive good mentorship."
• Bronwyn Kivell, Ph.D., Lecturer, University of Wellington School of Biological Sciences. Dr. Kivell was a postdoctoral fellow in the Integrative Neuroscience Section under the mentorship of Dr. Toni Shippenberg from 2003 to 2004. Her research involved establishing functional cellular assays using confocal microscopy to measure dopamine transporter function, expression, and regulation.
• Zhonghua Liu, M.D., Ph.D., Staff Fellow, NIMH.  Dr. Liu was a postdoctoral fellow in the Intracranial Injections Unit under the direction of Dr. Satoshi Ikemoto from 2004 to 2006.  His research involved the role of midbrain raphe and ventral tegmental neurons in positive and negative motivational processes.
• Lin Lu, Ph.D., Professor and Director, National Institute on Drug Dependence, Beijing University, China. Dr. Lu was a postdoctoral fellow in the Neurobiology of Relapse Section under the mentorship of Dr. Yavin Shaham from 2001 to 2006. His research was on the cellular signaling mechanisms of incubation of cocaine craving.
• Carmen Mazzola, M.D., Student in Neuropharmacology Medical School, University of Catania. Dr. Mazzola was a research assistant in the Preclinical Pharmacology Section under the direction of Dr. Steven Goldberg from 2005 to 2007. Her work involved research on how fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibition affects learning and memory.
• Andrea Mitola, Ph.D., consultant, Food Industry, New York. Dr. Mitola was a postdoctoral fellow in the Treatment Section under the mentorship of Dr. Kenzie Preston from 2008 to 2009. She was involved in studies using ecological momentary assessment and global positioning system to collect self-report and location data in real time to examine the individual and environmental factors in drug taking and craving.
• Carol Myers, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, Nicotine Psychopharmacology Section, NIDA. Dr. Myers was a postdoctoral fellow in the Nicotine Psychopharmacology Section under the mentorship of Dr. Stephen Heishman from 2001 to 2006. Her research examined the distinction between nicotine and non-nicotine factors in tobacco withdrawal-induced cognitive and brain activation changes assessed by fMRI in smokers.
• Emma Rose, Ph.D., Research Fellow, Department of Imaging Genetics, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. Dr. Rose was a postdoctoral fellow in the Neuroimaging Branch under the mentorship of Dr. Elliot Stein from 2004 to 2009. She examined reward processing using novel operant and Pavlovian reward paradigms in both cocaine- and nicotine-dependent individuals and demonstrated a selective deficit for negative rewards in cocaine addicts.
• Uri Shalev, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Canada. Dr. Shalev was a postdoctoral fellow in the Neurobiology of Relapse Section under the mentorship of Dr. Yavin Shaham from 1999 to 2002. His research was on the cellular signaling mechanisms of incubation of cocaine craving.
  
  Dr. Shalev: "I remember the time I spent at NIDA as one of the best periods in my training, both professionally and personally. In addition to the outstanding mentoring I received, I was pleasantly surprised to find a culture of collaboration between various laboratories that allowed me to experience a wide variety of techniques and approaches to research."
• Raf Schepers, Ph.D., Quality Assurance Manager, Chief Clinical Chemistry, Medical Laboratories Medina. Dr. Schepers was a doctoral student in the Integrative Neuroscience Section under the mentorship of Dr. Toni Shippenberg from 2003 to 2008. His research involved the neuropharmacological investigation of descending modulatory pathways mediating inflammatory and neuropathic pain.
• Maria Scherma, Ph.D., Fellow, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Italy. Dr. Scherma was a research assistant in the Preclinical Pharmacology Section under the direction of Dr. Steven Goldberg from 2005 to 2008. Her work involved research on the role of the cannabinoid system in the reinforcing effects of nicotine.
• Rick Shin, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Astellas Research Institute of America.  Dr. Shin was a postdoctoral fellow in the Intracranial Injections Unit under the direction of Dr. Satoshi Ikemoto from 2005 to 2009.  His research involved the role of ventral striatal dopamine in seeking for salient stimuli.
  
  Dr. Shin: "I was very fortunate to do my postdoctoral training at NIDA IRP. The interaction with my supervisor and other investigators was invaluable and allowed me to experience different approaches to perform quality research. My fellowship during my 3.5 years at NIDA molded me to become a better scientist and aided my transition for what I hope to be a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry."
• Marcello Solinas, Ph.D., Scientist, Institut de Biologie et Physiologie Cellulaire, Université de Poitiers, France. Dr. Solinas was a postdoctoral fellow in the Preclinical Pharmacology Section under the direction of Dr. Steven Goldberg from 2000 to 2004. His work involved research investigating the interaction between the opioid and cannabinoid systems.
  
  Dr. Solinas: "I cannot imagine a more enriching environment for young researchers than the NIDA IRP. You have the chance to work with the best scientists in the world, and they make you feel that it is up you to become like them. You work on drug addiction, yet you learn much more about the way the brain works under physiological and pathological conditions and get a complete training in neuroscience. The working atmosphere is very positive."
• Mingliang Tang, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Suzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.  Dr. Tang was a postdoctoral fellow in the Intracranial Injections Unit under the direction of Dr. Satoshi Ikemoto from 2009 to 2010.  His research involved electrophysiological recording of supramammillary neurons during Pavlovian conditioned food responses.
• Marquis Vawter, Ph.D., Director, Functional Genomics Laboratory and Senior Associate Director, University of California, Irvine-Davis Brain Resource Center. Dr. Vawter was a postdoctoral fellow in the Cellular Neurobiology Branch under the mentorship of Dr. William Freed from 1995 to 2002. His research on postmortem brain led to isolation of soluble NCAM fragments that were shown to have large effects on cellular phenotypes in transgenic animals. involved learning molecular neuroscience as a postdoctoral fellow.
  
  Dr. Vawter: "Bill Freed influenced my perception of what was needed to be a scientist, to become self-confident, and to develop a research niche. Above all he taught me humbleness in my work and to not be swayed by criticism or praise. The time I spent as a postdoctoral fellow definitely trained me to make the necessary decisions to direct a laboratory research program."
• Xiaoying Wang, Ph.D., Professor, Neuropharmacology Section, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, China. Dr. Wang was a postdoctoral fellow in the Clinical Psychopharmacology Section under the mentorship of Dr. Richard Rothman from 2002 to 2006. His research involved the interaction of amphetamine analogs, such as MDMA, on the serotonin transporter protein.
  
  Dr. Wang: "I learned how to conduct sound research, and the wonderful memories will accompany me forever. My training experience at NIDA absolutely gave me a strong research background, so I can excel at my current job."
• Zakia Williams, Ph.D., Pharmacologist, Division of Bioequivalence, Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Williams was a postdoctoral fellow in the Clinical Psychopharmacology Section under the mentorship of Dr. Richard Rothman from 2006 to 2007. Her research was on the inhibitory effects of MPP+ on cellular processes.
  
  Dr. Williams: "Knowledge and scientific discoveries are what one can expect to gain as a postdoctoral fellow at NIDA's Intramural Research Program. While working under the tutelage of reputable researchers and engaging in sound science, I gained experience that enhanced my skills as a pharmacologist and became informed about drug abuse as a brain disease."
• Shaolin Yang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Yang was a postdoctoral fellow in the Neuroimaging Branch under the mentorship of Dr. Yihong Yang from 2003 to 2009. He developed magnetic resonance spectroscopy techniques to measure glutamate levels in cocaine users.
• Abraham Zangen, Ph.D., Principal Investigator, Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel.  Dr. Zangen was a postdoctoral fellow in the Behavioral Neuroscience Section under the mentorship of Dr. Roy Wise from 1999 to 2003. His research used intracranial drug self-administration to localize brain sites that mediate the reinforcing effects of endogenous opiates.
• Wang Zhan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of California San Francisco. Dr. Zhan was a postdoctoral fellow in the Neuroimaging Branch under the mentorship of Dr. Yihong Yang from 2003 to 2007. He developed diffusion tensor MRI and fiber tracking techniques for the measurement of white matter integrity.
• Dorota Zolkowska M.D., Ph.D., Project Scientist, Department of Neurology, University of California-Davis School of Medicine. Dr. Zolkowska was a postdoctoral fellow in the Clinical Psychopharmacology Section under the mentorship of Dr. Richard Rothman from 2004 to 2007. Her research was on the role of amphetamine analogs in the increase of serotonin in plasma and brain.