Ashley Batista, M.S

Research Interests

Ashley Batista joined Dr. Lorenzo Leggio’s CPN lab in April 2024. She graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences and a minor in Africana Studies. At UMBC, under Dr. Fernando Vonhoff, Ashley worked to characterize the anatomical and behavioral effects of the Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) ortholog of Amyloid Precursor Proteins (APPs), which are closely linked to Alzheimer’s Disease in humans. Ashley went on to earn her Master of Science in Biology from Adelphi University, where she completed a thesis on the role of long non-coding RNAs and their expression levels on addictive phenotypes in human cocaine users. Following her Master’s degree, she joined Dr. Yavin Shaham’s Neurobiology of Relapse lab at NIDA in April 2021, where she worked to uncover the mechanisms and brain regions behind the incubation of oxycodone seeking after electric barrier-induced voluntary abstinence in rat models—a procedure mimicking human voluntary abstinence due to adverse consequences of drug seeking. Her research interests focus on substance use and women’s health, with a special interest in pregnancy and health disparities. In addition, Ashley dedicates time to volunteering at ShareBaby, a diaper bank that helps to address both diaper and child needs as well as lack of access to community resources for families in need living in Baltimore, MD. In the CPN lab, Ashley will serve as a Patient Coordinator, supporting the conduct of all human subjects’ research conducted by the CPN team.