Jan Iringan, B.S.

Research Interests

Jan Iringan joined Dr. Leggio’s Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology (CPN) Laboratory at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in June 2026. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) in May 2026.

As an undergraduate, Jan gained diverse clinical and service experience. She volunteered in hospice care across nursing homes and hospitals in the Baltimore area, providing compassionate support to patients and their families. She also served as a volunteer instructor for adults with multiple sclerosis, leading aquatic exercise sessions designed to improve strength, mobility, and overall well-being.

At UMBC, Jan was actively involved in leadership and mentorship. As president of Best Buddies, she promoted inclusion and awareness of intellectual and developmental disabilities by organizing campus events, recruiting members, and fostering meaningful relationships between students and individuals with disabilities. As a Meyerhoff Scholar, she served as a peer advisor, mentoring underclassmen by connecting them with academic resources, providing guidance on coursework and research opportunities, and supporting students from groups historically underrepresented in STEM.

Jan also conducted neuroscience research as a NIDA EDUCATE Scholar in Dr. Da-Ting Lin’s Neural Engineering Section at NIDA. Her research focused on the neural mechanisms underlying motivated behavior in the nucleus accumbens and their relevance to substance use disorders. She conducted behavioral experiments and assisted with stereotaxic surgeries in animal models to investigate how neural circuit activity contributes to motivated actions.

In the CPN Laboratory, Jan is responsible for collecting clinical research data from participants with alcohol and other substance use disorders and administering research assessments throughout study participation. She is committed to advancing translational research that improves the understanding, prevention, and treatment of alcohol and other substance use disorders while enhancing patient outcomes.