I completed my undergraduate training in Psychology at University of Texas at Austin, and my Ph.D. in Psychobiology at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis. I went on to complete a post-doctoral fellowship in the labs of Drs. George Koob and Marisa Roberto at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA, where we used behavioral pharmacology & electrophysiology techniques to explore neural and behavioral dysregulation associated with alcohol dependence.

My lab focuses on understanding the neurobiology of addiction and stress reactivity. We are currently funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) to explore the role of amygdala peptides and amygdala circuitry in escalation of alcohol use after traumatic stress exposure. I am also the Associate Director of the LSUHSC Alcohol & Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, the goal of which is to stimulate interdisciplinary collaborative efforts for research, teaching, and information dissemination related to alcohol and drug abuse. I am also appointed at the V.A., where my research is supported by a Merit grant. In January 2017, I received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists & Engineers (PECASE) from President Obama.

Outside the lab, I enjoy marathon training, travel, Longhorn sports, and live New Orleans jazz.