Rodrigo Molini Leão, Ph.D.

Rodrigo was a post-doctorate fellow in Hope Lab from 2014 to 2015. He studied the role of prefrontal cortex neuronal ensembles projections to nucleus accumbens in context-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking. As of 2018, Rodrigo is a professor and principal investigator at Federal University of Bahia in Salvador/BA, Brazil. His lab studies the effect of cannabidiol and biperiden on the activity of the mesocorticolimbic pathway and its influence on ethanol self-administration, and the molecular alterations in selectively activated neurons in the reinstatement of ethanol self-administration.

Fábio C. Cruz, Ph.D.

Ph.D. – Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, São Paulo State University, Brazil

Fábio was a post-doctorate fellow in Hope Lab from 2011 to 2014. He worked on developing the Fos-Tet-Cre transgenic rat system as a new tool to examine causal roles of neuronal ensembles in learned behaviors. As of 2018, Fábio is an Adjunct Professor at Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil, where he also examines the role of neuronal ensembles in addiction behaviors.

Sanya Fanous, B.S.

B.S. – Pharmacology, Tufts University, Massachusetts, USA

Sanya was a post-doctorate fellow in Hope Lab from 2009 to 2012, where she studied mechanisms of heroin addiction. As of 2018, Sanya works in Precision for Medicine in Maryland.

Eisuke Koya, Ph.D.

Ph.D. – Molecular Neurobiology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2005
M.Sc. – Biotechnology, De Montfort University, UK, 1999
B.A. – Neurobiology, U.C. Berkeley, California, USA, 1996

Eisuke was a post-doctorate fellow from 2005 to 2010 and a research fellow from 2010 to 2012 in Hope Lab. He worked developing the ‘Daun02 inactivation method’ to selectively knock out only strongly activated Fos-expressing neurons without manipulating the surrounding non-activated neurons to knock out specific learned associations and memories. He also studied the physiology and the dynamic changes in the synapses of these inactivated neurons. As of 2018, Eisuke is an associate professor at the School of Psychology at the University of Sussex, UK. His laboratory examines the neuronal ensemble mechanisms of how learned associations are formed between food rewards and the stimuli that predict their availability in the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens, specifically studying the alterations at the intrinsic excitability and synaptic levels that they undergo to establish and maintain these learned associations.

Sam A. Golden, Ph.D.

Ph.D. – Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA, 2014
B.S. – Neuroscience, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, USA, 2006

Sam was a post-baccalaureate fellow in Hope Lab from 2006 to 2009. He helped Dr. E. Koya in the development of the ‘Daun02 inactivation method.’ As of 2018, Sam is a post-doctorate fellow at Yavin Shaham lab here at NIDA IRP, NIH. He is studying the neural circuitry controlling aggression motivation.

Brandi Mattson, Ph.D.

Ph.D. – Behavioral and Neural Sciences, Rutgers University at Newark, New Jersey, USA, 2002

Brandi was a post-doctorate fellow in Hope Lab from 2002 to 2005. She identified activated signaling pathways and electrophysiological signatures in cocaine and amphetamine activated neuronal ensembles in the nucleus accumbens. As of 2018, Brandi works for Life Science Editors helping scientists get funded and published in any life science discipline.

Justin D. Kreuter, M.D.

M.D. – University of Missouri-Columbia; Anatomic & Clinical Pathology residency at Dartmouth, USA

Justin was a post-baccalaureate fellow in Hope lab from 2001 to 2003. He studied neural-specific changes, and their behavioral correlates, in drug addiction. As of 2018, Justin works in Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MA, in patient blood management, platelet refractory management, and medical education.

Jose Moron-Concepcion, PhD

Ph.D. – Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Barcelona, Spain

Jose was a post-doctorate fellow in Hope Lab from 1999 to 2001. He studied the dopamine transporter and the regulation of DAT by drugs of abuse (i.e. cocaine). As of 2018, Jose is a tenured Associate Professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis. His lab studies the interaction between pain and opioid misuse and addiction.

Last updated: 7/2018

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