SDFDR Fellows Alumni

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Generally, I am interested in substance use disorders, neurobiology/neuroscience, health disparities, behavior, neighborhood and social stress on addiction, epidemiology, global health, sociology, and criminal justice.

My current work is focused on examining how different types of drugs impact an individual’s perception of their neighborhood. This project intrigues me because it will aid us in better understanding the ways different drugs might influence how individuals perceive and interact with their environment.

HUMAN INTERESTS
Addiction and substance use disorders, sexual violence advocacy, focused interest in immigrant and underrepresented populations, long-term Impacts of mass incarceration, and public policy.

CAREER PLANS
In the future, I want to purse a dual degree in medicine and public health (MD/MPH). I want to always advocate for the most silenced and forgotten members of our society.

FAVORITE QUOTE
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” – Martin Luther King Jr

FOR FUN IN MY FREE TIME
Being outdoors, reading, playing games, watching movies, painting, and photography

View Fatumastar’s profile page

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Behavioral neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, proteomics, biochemistry; mechanistic and biochemical understanding of the human brain and consciousness

CAREER ASPIRATIONS/PLANS
I want to become a PI and build a multidisciplinary lab centered on mentorship, networking, and advocating/empowering young students as they go through their path in academia. Research-wise, bringing together aspects of mechanistic and biochemical methods to study the basis of behavior.

FUN FACT
I have an adventure hat I take with me whenever I encounter new feats or experiences to remind myself to make every day an adventure.

FAVORITE QUOTE
“The stars align when they align” is phrase I like to use.

FUN IN MY FREE TIME
Longboarding, hiking, flow riding, kayaking, anything active really. Oh! Also DnD, if you want to do a one-shot anytime hmu

ON BEING AN SDFDR FELLOW
Favorite part, my cohort. Lab work can be crazy sometimes (especially when you are getting started) but to have a cohort that is comfortable with each other and experiencing the same new trials with me is very grounding and feels safe.

PUBLICATIONS/ABSTRACTS/POSTERS
Altidor L, Fredriksson I, Shekara A, Korah H, Husbands S, Zaveri N, Sulima A, Rice K, Shaham Y, Bossert JM. Effect of chronic delivery of the mixed MOR/NOP agonists BU08028 and AT-201 on relapse to heroin seeking and taking in a rat model of opioid maintenance. Society for Neuroscience, 2021

RESEARCH INTERESTS
How drugs affect the neural circuits mediating decision making and valuation, and how these behaviors can become maladaptive.

HUMAN INTERESTS
Reading, Formula 1 Racing, podcasts, music, art

CAREER ASPIRATONS/PLANS
Obtain a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and further contribute to the area of research of addiction and maladaptive decision making.

 FUN FACTS/FAV QUOTE
I can speak three languages: English, Spanish, and Italian

HOBBIES/FREE TIME ACTIVITIES or ORGANIZATIONS:
Volunteering at the Maryland Science Center, baking, working out, fishing, hanging out with friends

PUBLICATION
Goode RW, Malian H, Samuel-Hodge C, Noem T, Coan D, Takgbajouah M, Bahena L, Bulik CM. (2022). The impact of COVID-19 on Black women who binge-eat: a qualitative study. Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 1-9

View Lisette’s profile page

OTHER MENTORS
Ida Fredriksson, Rajtarun Madangopal, Carlos Mejias-Aponte, Jennifer Bossert

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Biological, genetic, and epigenetic basis of substance use disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, development, mental illnesses, and women’s health, health disparities, interactions of sociology, psychology, and human behavior

HUMAN INTERESTS
I am most interested in volunteering at a diaper bank called ShareBaby that is partnered with over 60 community organizations to help mediate both diaper and child needs as well as lack of access to community resources.

CAREER ASPIRATONS/PLANS
I aspire to become a physician scientist (MD-PhD) with an MD in obstetrics/gynecology and a PhD in the neurobiology of drug addiction and/or women’s reproductive and neurological health. My hope is to apply a multi-disciplinary approach to our research questions and the world’s problems. I want to build a lab that provides a thriving environment for young scientists looking for guidance into academia, the research industry, and/or other professional careers. I specifically want to empower those from historically underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds and continue to open the stream of mentorship and guidance to those who do not have the resources to attain it. Ideally, I would also love to work in a medical setting or clinic where I can treat patients that are from minority and low-income communities. I want to be able to not only provide medical assistance but also share information and other resources to those that are not able to access them. 

FAV QUOTE
“Stay focused. Don’t talk about what you’re going to do. Don’t just dream about what you’re going to do. Don’t criticize somebody else for what they’re not doing. You! Be it! Be about it. Be about that action.” – Beyoncé

OTHER MENTORS
Michelle Jobes, Christie Brannock, Michele Evans, Josephine Egan, Yeka Aponte, Carlos Nogueras-Ortiz, Maja Mustapic, Jacqueline Flores-Otero, Guillermo Yudowski

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Our group at NIA has pioneered the development of methods for isolating extracellular vesicles enriched for neuronal and astrocytic origin from peripheral blood and has utilized them as a source of biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease. My current work demonstrates strong correlations of Alzheimer’s disease pathogenic proteins in extracellular vesicles and brain tissues suggesting that extracellular vesicles may be used to precisely characterize individual patients for multiple pathologies, contributing to the development of Precision Medicine. These findings are novel and constitute a powerful validation of circulating extracellular vesicles as liquid biopsy biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease. My research interests include to continue interrogating the molecular cargo of extracellular vesicles as they may offer a window into the brain and help us identify novel therapeutic targets and reveal critical times for therapeutic intervention in Alzheimer’s disease and potentially in other brain pathologies.

HUMAN INTERESTS
Wellness advocate; Diversity advocate

CAREER PLANS
I aspire to obtain an academic career as researcher and professor in Puerto Rico, as my ultimate goal is to share the scientific skill set and work ethics I have acquired with this and future generations of scientists, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds that have had less opportunities and potentially faced more obstacles.

FUN FACTS

• I belonged to a dog rescue group in Puerto Rico, in which we rescued abandoned dogs from the streets and took care of them until their condition improved and then send them to the US for adoption. I kept 4 of these dogs and traveled to Maryland with them.
• I can back squat 2.13x my body weight.
• I have 2 middle names: Mariet and Renee; and my last names are hyphenated to avoid confusion because they are actually 2, as it is Puerto Rico’s tradition to carry your mother’s last name as well, so my current actual full name is Francheska Mariet Renee Delgado Peraza. Furthermore, is also our tradition that at marriage, you don’t only take your husband’s last name (which are 2 if he is Puerto Rican), you add it to yours, so one day I may officially have 3 names and 4 last names.

FAVORITE QUOTE
“Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought.” – Albert Szent-Györgyi
“The reward of the young scientist is the emotional thrill of being the first person in the history of the world to see something or to understand something. Nothing can compare with that experience.” – Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin
“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” – Isaac Newton

FOR FUN IN MY FREE TIME
Crossfit; Dance; Yoga; Member of the NIA Wellness Advisory Committee Be Well at Work

ON BEING AN SDFDR FELLOW
My favorite part of being an SDFDR Fellow is to feel that I belong and that I can do it. This Program is valuable not only for the scientific environment and the skill sets it offers, but also for the mentoring and the genuine camaraderie within. I have found a family in science in the other Fellows and in the Program’s personnel, including the Director and the Coordinator. They all are more than supportive, enthusiastic and reliable, and even more so during difficult times.

PUBLICATIONS
Lee Y, Mansur RB, Brietzke E, Kapogiannis D, Delgado-Peraza F, Boutilier J, Chan T, Carmona N, Lee J, Maletic V, Vinberg M, Suppes T, Goldstein B, Ravindran A, Taylor V, Chawla S, Nogueras-Ortiz C, Cosgrove V, Kramer N, Ho RCM, Raison C, and McIntyre RS. Peripheral inflammatory biomarkers define biotypes of bipolar depression. Molecular Psychiatry. Accepted for publication.

Nogueras-Ortiz CJ, Mahairaki V, Delgado-Peraza F, Das D, Avgerinos K, Eren E, Hentschel M, Goetzl EJ, Mattson MP, Kapogiannis D. Astrocyte- and Neuron-Derived Extracellular Vesicles from Alzheimer’s Disease Patients Effect Complement-Mediated Neurotoxicity. Cells. 2020 Jul 4;9(7):1618. doi: 10.3390/cells9071618. PMID: 32635578; PMCID: PMC7407141.

Delgado-Peraza F, Mansur RB, Subramaniapillai M, Lee Y, Iacobucci M, Rodrigues N, Rosenblat JD, Brietzke E, Cosgrove VE, Kramer NE, Suppes T, Raison CL, Chawla S, Nogueras-Ortiz C, McIntyre RS, Kapogiannis D. Extracellular Vesicle Biomarkers Reveal Inhibition of Neuroinflammation by Infliximab in Association with Antidepressant Response in Adults with Bipolar Depression. Cells. 2020 Apr 6;9(4):895. doi: 10.3390/cells9040895. PMID: 32268604; PMCID: PMC7226726.

Bhargava P, Nogueras-Ortiz C, Kim S, Delgado-Peraza F, Calabresi PA, Kapogiannis D. Synaptic and complement markers in extracellular vesicles in multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler. 2020 Jun 17:1352458520924590. doi: 10.1177/1352458520924590. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32669030; PMCID: PMC7744427.

Delgado-Peraza F, Mansur RB, Subramaniapillai M, Lee Y, Iacobucci M, Nasri F, Rodrigues N, Rosenblat JD, Brietzke E, Cosgrove VE, Kramer NE, Suppes T, Raison CL, Fagiolini A, Rasgon N, Chawla S, Nogueras-Ortiz C, Kapogiannis D, McIntyre RS. Exploring brain insulin resistance in adults with bipolar depression using extracellular vesicles of neuronal origin. J Psychiatr Res. 2021 Jan;133:82-92. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.12.007. Epub 2020 Dec 4. PMID: 33316649; PMCID: PMC7855678.

Roman-Vendrell C, Chevalier M, Acevedo-Canabal AM, Delgado-Peraza F, Flores-Otero J, Yudowski GA. Imaging of kiss-and-run exocytosis of surface receptors in neuronal cultures. Front Cell Neurosci. 2014 Nov 3;8:363. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00363. PMID: 25404895; PMCID: PMC4217495.

Delgado-Peraza F, Ahn KH, Nogueras-Ortiz C, Mungrue IN, Mackie K, Kendall DA, Yudowski GA. Mechanisms of Biased β-Arrestin-Mediated Signaling Downstream from the Cannabinoid 1 Receptor. Mol Pharmacol. 2016 Jun;89(6):618-29. doi: 10.1124/mol.115.103176. Epub 2016 Mar 23. Erratum in: Mol Pharmacol. 2016 Jul;90(1):62. PMID: 27009233; PMCID: PMC4885504.

Flores-Otero J, Ahn KH, Delgado-Peraza F, Mackie K, Kendall DA, Yudowski GA. Ligand-specific endocytic dwell times control functional selectivity of the cannabinoid receptor 1. Nat Commun. 2014 Aug 1;5:4589. doi: 10.1038/ncomms5589. PMID: 25081814; PMCID: PMC4227836.

Delgado-Peraza F, Nogueras-Ortiz C, Acevedo Canabal AM, Roman-Vendrell C, Yudowski GA. Imaging GPCRs trafficking and signaling with total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy in cultured neurons. Methods Cell Biol. 2016;132:25-33. doi: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2015.10.002. Epub 2015 Dec 24. PMID: 26928537; PMCID: PMC5421379.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Behavioral and neurological substrates underlying reward seeking
• The role of discriminative stimuli in drug seeking and taking

HUMAN INTERESTS

• Mentoring low-income/first-generation college students
• LGBTQ+ advocacy
• Promoting diversity in biomedical sciences

CAREER PLANS 
I plan to obtain an M.D./Ph.D. in neuroscience, and I hope to focus either on the neural networks involved in drug addiction or on treatment targets and drug development for psychiatric illnesses. I hope to serve my community as a clinical researcher as well as a mentor and role model for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

FUN FACTS
I can recite 100 digits of pi, and I was voted class clown in high school.

FAV QUOTE
“It matters not what someone is born but what they grow to be.” – Albus Dumbledore

FOR FUN IN MY FREE TIME
Creating art, reading, volunteering, boardgames, hiking

ON BEING AN SDFDR FELLOW
I can share my experiences and listen to like-minded individuals about their unique journeys. It has been an incredible source of support, and I have received advice about goals, time-management, communication, and professional development from people at different points in their careers.

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RESEARCH INTERESTS
Neuroimaging, impulsive and compulsive drug seeking, neurodegenerative disease

HUMAN INTERESTS
Stigma associated with substance use disorders and mental illnesses; the existence of addiction and mental health treatment disparities due to socioeconomic status, race, and other demographics.

CAREER ASPIRATONS/PLANS
I plan to be a physician-scientist because I want to provide care for African American patients regardless of socioeconomic/insurance status and be a voice advocating for us in the research that informs therapeutic treatments.

FUN FACTS/FAV QUOTE
I once held the plank (that annoying core exercise) for almost 14 minutes straight.

HOBBIES/FREE TIME ACTIVITIES or ORGANIZATIONS
True crime fanatic (podcasts, documentaries, Netflix series), soccer, weightlifting, dog-lover, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Volunteer, START (Stigma Awareness and Reduction Team) member

FAV PART OF BEING AN SDFDR SO FAR/WHY YOU WANTED TO BE IN THE SDFDR PROGRAM
As a new member of SDFDR, it has been really encouraging to engage with other young scientists who are also of a minority population. This program is a safe space for me because I know there are people who can relate to my day-to-day experience in and outside of the lab.

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RESEARCH INTERESTS
My interests are furthering the current understanding of the neuroscience, as well as the human experience behind substance use disorders, mood disorders, and their comorbid interactions. In addition, I hope to take part in bridging the two fields together. I believe understanding these disorders from a holistic perspective – considering everything from the chemical to cultural roots – can lead to improvements in how we see and treat them.

HUMAN INTERESTS

• Promoting growth in disadvantaged communities. I previously volunteered as a tutor/mentor for children and adolescents in the Baltimore public school system and loved the experience I had.
• Promoting access to mental healthcare — not limited to, but especially to minority communities who are disproportionately affected
• Showing my many younger siblings they also can pursue a degree in higher education, if they decide it’s right for them

CAREER ASPIRATONS/PLANS
I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology or Neuroscience

FUN FACTS/FAV QUOTE
“The world’s not empty, it’s how you want it to be” – Young the Giant

HOBBIES/FREE TIME ACTIVITIES or ORGANIZATIONS
I love music, so I end up spending a lot of my time making playlists, going to concerts, and learning guitar. When with friends, I enjoy casual tennis, board games, and cooking.

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RESEARCH INTERESTS
Neuroscience, clinical research, psychology

HUMAN INTERESTS
Patient care, diversity, LGBTQ+ advocacy, WOC advocacy

CAREER ASPIRATONS/PLANS
Hopefully medical school, but who knows…

FUN FACTS/FAV QUOTE
“There’s a thin semantic line separating weird and beautiful, and that line is covered in jellyfish.” – Welcome to Night Vale

HOBBIES/FREE TIME ACTIVITIES or ORGANIZATIONS
Watching movies, crocheting, singing, drawing, going to the gym

View Zoha’s profile page

RESEARCH INTERESTS
I am currently working on social self-administration operant model in female CD1 and C57 mice. Currently, my research interests include natural rewards such as social interaction vs drugs of abuse. I have different research interests that I would like to explore when I get further into my career. I would like to explore autoimmune diseases like Lupus and other diseases like obesity/diabetes.

HUMAN INTERESTS
I am trying to dive into more activism in health care disparities/ health education and also racial disparities. I have been passionate about animal welfare which I hope to be able to contribute by becoming a foster cat mom when I have my own home.

CAREER PLANS
I am still trying to figure out what to do in my career. I am exploring different master’s and PhD programs as well as a medical laboratory science program.

FUN FACTS
I am left-handed & I wrestled in high school

FOR FUN IN MY FREE TIME
I like to craft, read, watch Netflix and play video games

ON BEING AN SDFDR FELLOW
I love being an SDFDR fellow because we have created a small family where we support and encourage each other. I have also learned a lot about becoming a better scientist and a professional. A huge reason why I wanted to be part of this program was because it was a way to connect with fellow colleagues with similar backgrounds.

PUBLICATIONS/ABSTRACTS/POSTERS
2021 SfN Global Connectome- Poster Presentations

IN THE NIDA/NIH COMMUNITY
I am part of the Post-bac Advisory Committee at NIDA and help with creating the monthly newsletter. I am also one of the Baltimore representatives for the NIH SACNAS chapter.

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RESEARCH INTERESTS
I am generally interested in pediatrics, neurobiology/neuroscience, the effects of drug use in adolescents, music therapy and sociology. I am also interested in public health and how illnesses and disease are expressed in people of color.

HUMAN INTERESTS
Health disparities and diversity

CAREER ASPIRATONS/PLANS
I want to pursue a degree in medicine and specialize in pediatric care.

FAV QUOTE
“Though she be but little, she is fierce” – Shakespeare

HOBBIES/FREE TIME ACTIVITIES or ORGANIZATIONS
singing, writing music, reading, drawing/painting, riding my bike, swimming, learning mandarin

View Elfrieda’s profile page

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Using neuroscience to lead to reform and influence policies and laws concerning the criminal justice system.

HUMAN INTERESTS
Spreading awareness of issues concerning minority groups in the field of science. Using research, I would like to advocate for the rights of underrepresented people.

CAREER ASPIRATONS/PLANS
Obtain a Ph.D. in Psychology to better understand the implications of neuroscience research.

FUN FACTS/FAV QUOTE
I travelled to Norway to visit Halden Fengsel, a maximum-security prison focused on rehabilitation.

HOBBIES/FREE TIME ACTIVITIES or ORGANIZATIONS
Watching movies and documentaries, listening to music, going to concerts, spending time with family and friends.

View Christina’s profile page

RESEARCH INTERESTS
I’m interested in researching and learning more about the neurobiological mechanisms of addiction and how we can begin to use psychedelics such as psilocybin as a treatment for substance use disorders and in other areas of mental health. I’m currently looking at the effects of high dose psilocybin sessions versus nicotine patch replacement therapy on smoking cessation in a population of smokers with multiple quit attempts. As taboo as it may be in research, I believe the “mystical” or “spiritual” aspect of these substances will play an important role in their therapeutic implementation.

HUMAN INTERESTS
Outside of the research setting I’m interested in reducing stigma around mental health in BIPOC communities. This includes reducing stigma around homelessness and advocating for community-based mental health programs that target homeless populations. I would like to do more work towards providing opportunities and assistance to underrepresented communities, specifically in Native American communities. I hope to one day collaborate with tribal communities to mitigate rampant substance use throughout tribal communities. 

CAREER ASPIRATONS/PLANS
My goal is to obtain my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and conduct therapy while also contributing to clinical research. I’d like to focus on the treatment of substance use disorders and improve the implementation of evidence-based practices in the community.

FUN FACTS/FAV QUOTE
“The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself” – Michel de Montaigne

HOBBIES/FREE TIME ACTIVITIES or ORGANIZATIONS:
I enjoy bouldering, backpacking, video games, and going on a good streaming binge!

View Samuel’s profile page

RESEARCH INTERESTS
For my current project, I am imaging two G protein coupled receptors, galanin receptor 1 and neurokinin 1 receptor, in the periaqueductal gray to see if they co-localize. We want to know if these receptors form heteromeric complexes with each other. Receptors in heteromeric complexes interact with each other in ways that change their properties. By studying these receptors, we will know more about their properties, which will enhance their viability as drug targets for conditions such as substance use disorder.

HUMAN INTERESTS
LGBTQ+ advocacy, diversity in the sciences

CAREER ASPIRATONS/PLANS
I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience and to pursue a career in biomedical research.

FAV QUOTE
“Science is the acceptance of what works and the rejection of what does not. That takes more courage than we might think.” -Jacob Bronowski

HOBBIES/FREE TIME ACTIVITIES or ORGANIZATIONS
In my free time, I like to sing with my friends, take long walks, and play Dungeons and Dragons!

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RESEARCH INTERESTS
Supramammillary Nucleus, Motivated Behavior, Self Drug Administration, Neuropharmacology, Lateral Habenula, Imaging

CAREER ASPIRATONS/PLANS
Earning a Ph.D. in neuroscience to attain a career in pharmaceuticals or bioengineering

FAV QUOTE
“If the Universe has no purpose, then we get to dictate what its purpose is.”-Kurzgesgat

HOBBIES/FREE TIME ACTIVITIES or ORGANIZATIONS: 
Running / Hiking / Video Games

FAV PART OF BEING AN SDFDR SO FAR/WHY YOU WANTED TO BE IN THE SDFDR PROGRAM
I was inspired to join the SDFDR program because my university had a similar fellowship program, and it helped succeed in my academic career. Being a part of SDFDR program will give the support I need to complete my goals in my post-bac journey.

PUBLICATIONS/ABSTRACTS/POSTERS
Mendoza J, Gibbons J, Arima Y, and Ikemoto S. Median raphe GABAergic neurons regulate reward and compulsive behavior. NIH Poster Day, April 26, 2022.

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RESEARCH/HUMAN INTERESTS
Some of my research interests are physical health, cellular/neuronal health, and cancer treatment. I’m pre-medicine and interested in providing everyone quality healthcare, keeping people healthy in the long run, and decreasing health disparities. I am also passionate about diversity, inclusion, and respecting all people of any cultural backgrounds!

Some of my other interests are physical health, cellular/neuronal health, and cancer treatment. I’m pre-medicine and interested in providing everyone quality healthcare, keeping people healthy in the long run, and decreasing health disparities. I am also passionate about diversity, inclusion, and respecting all people of any cultural backgrounds!

CAREER ASPIRATONS/PLANS
I aspire to study medicine and be a general practitioner and my goal is to make a positive difference in my community.

FAV SONG
Song: Good Time by Niko Moon

HOBBIES/FREE TIME ACTIVITIES
I love sports, video games, and good food

View Ceiveon’s profile page

RESEARCH
My research involves the synthesis and evaluation of novel substrates that bind to an atypical conformation of the dopamine transporter, which is heavily implicated in cocaine dependence. As a research fellow, I think critically about the structure-activity relationship of designed compounds on the monoamine transporters and test the affinity of varied structures for the transporters naturally present in rat brain tissue using radioligand binding assays towards the goal of developing a small molecule drug that can assist in the treatment of cocaine use disorder.

HUMAN INTERESTS
My interests include youth literacy – my first introduction to research actually came from a book that I read in elementary school. Reading allows for us to dream and teaches us new perspectives, and I love to share my passion for reading with young students.

I am also invested in the decriminalization of addiction and of poverty, and I am interested in the general shift away from both private and public prison systems, which have consistently been more punitive than rehabilitative, towards effective and innovative solutions to social problems with long term benefits for individuals and for our society.

CAREER ASPIRATONS/PLANS
After the completion of my fellowship, I plan to attend medical school. I look forward to incorporating the knowledge and perspectives I’ve gained on drug use and addiction medicine into my career as a physician and to serving diverse, urban populations, similar to those in my hometown of Queens, NY.

FAV QUOTES
Say to the down-keepers, the sun-slappers, the self-soilers, the harmony-hushers, “Even if you are not ready for day, it cannot always be night.” – Gwendolyn Brooks

The future never just happened. It was created. – Mae Jemison

HOBBIES/FREE TIME ACTIVITIES
In my free time, I enjoy reading novels and memoirs, thrifting, trying out different restaurants in the city, attending events at Patterson Park and traveling domestically and internationally.

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OTHER MENTORS Michelle Jobes & Christie Brannock

RESEARCH INTERESTS
I work under the mentorship of Drs. Da-Ting Lin & Craig Werner to investigate the role of nucleus accumbens dopamine receptors D1 and D2 in the encoding of reward and punishment in addiction. By using the innovative miniScope technology to record the activity of these neural circuits in real time, we hope to better understand how drug-related behaviors are encoded in the nucleus accumbens microcircuitry.

HUMAN INTERESTS
Addiction research is important to me because I see how bias and stigma prevent people with addiction from accessing evidence-based care, and I also see how scientists are being left out of the policymaking process. In my career, I hope to continue conducting research that contributes to the understanding of addiction as a chronic illness and investigating the causes and effects of other stigmatized public health issues. Ultimately, I believe that it is not only the duty of health professionals to advocate for the health of their patients, but it is also our duty as humans to continuously question how we contribute to the marginalization of others and actively take steps to create a society that is safe and better for everyone.

CAREER PLANS
I will be attending medical school this fall! Potential specialties I’m interested in are anesthesiology, psychiatry, and neurology. Wherever I end up, I’m sure addiction science will be an important part of my career. My career goal is to work on policies that create tangible change to address health disparities and protect vulnerable populations. I am particularly interested in ethnic minorities and immigrant populations, individuals diagnosed with substance use and other mental illnesses, and those below the poverty line as vulnerable populations.

FAV QUOTE
“I’m a woman, phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that’s me.” –Maya Angelou

FOR FUN IN MY FREE TIME
I love meeting people from all over the world and learning new things! I have visited about 15 foreign countries and would love to work internationally. Some places that I’m hoping to travel to next are Spain, Costa Rica, Sweden, and back to Mexico because I love it so much! In my free time I like to cook, draw, paint, and binge on true crime documentaries!

ON BEING AN SDFDR FELLOW
Being an SDFDR has allowed me to uphold my values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in science and medicine communities. Experiences like these are important to me because of my career aspiration to someday share my experiences and provide guidance to the next generation of young scientists and physicians. Additionally, it’s been a great opportunity to connect with other postbacs while being socially distanced.

PUBLICATIONS/ABSTRACTS/POSTERS

Orejobi S, Marshall B, Powell T & Johnson RM. Old-for-grade status and risk for adolescent risk behaviors: Secondary analysis of data from the 2016 Maryland Youth Risk Behavior Survey (MD-YRBS). Journal of Adolescent Health. Feb 2020, Volume 66, Issue 2, S146.

Orejobi S, Marshall B, Powell T, Johnson RM. Old-for-grade status and risk for adolescent risk behaviors. Virtual poster presentation at the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA; March 6-9, 2020.

Orejobi S, Johnson RM. Age differences in grade level among Hispanic/Latino high school students: estimating prevalence of risk behaviors. Poster presentation at Johns Hopkins CARES Symposium. Baltimore, MD; July 25, 2019.

Orejobi S, Marwede H, Ekwenchi C, Miara M. Effect of Cu2O Nanoparticle Degradants on C. elegans Poster presentation at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Authentic Research Lab Poster Session. Coral Gables, FL; April 27, 2017.

Ekwenchi C, Orejobi S, Rasco K, Giraldo A. Effect of Pyrethrins as Natural Product Pesticide Against D. melanogaster and D. rerio. Poster presentation at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Authentic Research Lab Poster Session. Coral Gables, FL; Dec 13, 2016.

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RESEARCH INTERESTS
Generally, my research interests are in understanding the neurobiological and behavioral mechanisms that underlie drug reward and drug seeking. Currently, the lab is working on examining unique molecular alterations specific to drug-cue-activated ensemble neurons in the infralimbic cortex.

HUMAN INTERESTS
– Promoting diversity and inclusion in STEM and cultural competency in research
– Addressing health disparities in underrepresented populations
– Developing and providing support services for first-generation, low-income college students
– Destigmatizing addiction and mental illness

CAREER ASPIRATONS/PLANS
My goal is to conduct research that contributes to understanding brain-behavior relationships in addiction and informs evidence-based treatments for substance use disorders. To achieve this, I am currently interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in neuroscience.

FUN FACTS/FAV QUOTE
“A ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” – John A. Shedd

HOBBIES/FREE TIME ACTIVITIES or ORGANIZATIONS
In my free time I enjoy reading, drawing, baking, singing, and playing the guitar! I also recently started learning how to crochet.

FAV PART OF BEING AN SDFDR SO FAR/WHY YOU WANTED TO BE IN THE SDFDR PROGRAM
My favorite part of being in the SDFDR program so far has been the cohort. I am thankful to have people to talk about my struggles, achievements, and growth with.

View Diana’s profile page

RESEARCH INTERESTS
We know that the ventral tegmental Area (VTA) plays an essential role in both positive and negative reinforcement behavior and that the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) is involved in aversion. It has also been shown that the PBN projects to the VTA but how these connections play a role in reinforcement and aversion processes is unclear. Therefore, my current project involves using optogenetics, chemogenetics, and calcium imaging to define the role of this PBN-to-VTA pathway in aversion.

I’m interested in using the properties of light to image neurons. Specifically, by using calcium imaging with fiber photometry or two photon spectroscopy during behavior, I aim to characterize neuronal activity in the context of behavior. Combining my computation background in mass data analysis with the skills I have acquired at NIDA, in the future, I intend to investigate neuronal properties in songbirds, as model of vocal learning, after social defeat as a model of stress.

HUMAN INTERESTS
Growing up in Los Angeles, CA I firsthand saw the hypocrisy of our society. On one hand, we preach diversity and inclusion, but on the other, our actions show otherwise. Behind the glamour of Los Angeles, and many other cities, my community still struggles for basic American rights. Whether it’s storms, the pandemic, or terrorist attacks, Latinos are often there to provide essential services, but these unrecognized heroes don’t have the right to paid sick leave or paid vacations. We simply have to look close to home to our gardeners, nannies, and other domestic workers and see that we do not give them the same rights we expect for ourselves. It is because we do not see them the as equals, but beneath us. I have the privilege of being in a position where my voice and opinion is valued and heard. I advocate for the underprivileged because I know their pain. Too many second-generation Latinos like myself know this story well because they are our parents and while we cannot change their experience, we can change the way they are seen and treated. Through this, I hope that one day we can stop “The twisted inversion that many children of immigrants know is that, at some point, your parents become your children, and your own personal American dream becomes making sure they age and die with dignity in a country that has never wanted them.”
― Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

CAREER PLANS
My career aspiration is to become a Ph.D. candidate in NYC. Just as my undergraduate mentor and PI gave me an opportunity and nourished my scientific curiosity, I plan to train the next generation of underrepresented scientists. As for my plans after graduate school, I believe that somethings are for me to know only.

FUN FACTS
Everyone likes to tell me what I should or shouldn’t do but if I had listened to them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Honestly, sometimes I have no idea what I am doing and sometimes the path is longer than I expected but I would never change anything about it because I’ve had one hella an adventure. Fun fact is I learned German in my adventures!

FAVORITE QUOTES
“I am who I am because I know who I am, and I refuse to ever let anyone ever tell me otherwise”– Elektra Abundance Evangelista

“Science progresses one funeral at a time” – Max Planck

“To be nobody but myself — in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make me somebody else — means to fight the hardest battle any human can fight, and never stop fighting.” – e.e. cummings

IN THE NIDA/NIH COMMUNITY
Board Counsel – NIH SACNAS
Member – NIDA IRP IDEA

View Jesse’s profile page

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Neuroscience, addiction, reward, cell metabolism and signaling in health and disease, biophysics, origin of life.

HUMAN INTERESTS

• Finding ways of directing my neuroscience research towards protection and recovery of marginalized communities that are suffering disproportionately with health problems because of climate change and unsustainable corporate exploitation of natural resources.
• Promoting support networks and cultivating safe spaces within STEM fields for researchers of underrepresented communities, especially WOC and the LGBTQIA+ community.
• Increasing awareness about and accessibility to science careers in Mexico’s underserved communities.
• Increasing representation and take up space in the uncharted territories of niche scientific research communities.

CAREER ASPIRATONS/PLANS
I want to become a professor and also lead a research group as an independent investigator pursuing translational research in neuroscience. I would like to teach and mentor the next generation of STEM scholars by making difficult topics in neuroscience more accessible. I believe people from all educational backgrounds deserve to understand their brains and body, and how their biology connects to their experience of life and the world.

FUN FACT
I collect mugs, fridge magnets, and playing cards.

HOBBIES/FREE TIME ACTIVITIES or ORGANIZATIONS
I like working out, reading, watching movies, particularly sci-fi and documentaries, crafting and making art. If I have more time, I love making puzzles, hiking far from the city, going to museums and concerts, and traveling to explore new places. With my friends, I love playing trivia and board games.

View Ana’s profile page

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Functional neuroscience and its implications in both neurodegeneration and substance use disorders.

HUMAN INTERESTS
The development of science as an open space for underrepresented individuals is a major interest for me. There are still many spaces within STEM where it is dominated by an overbearing majority, limiting the capabilities for development of young People of Color within the field. Science is not an area to be monopolized by any one group, and instead requires strong diversity to properly answer many of the inquiries we are making as a society today.

CAREER ASPIRATONS/PLANS
For my career, I have a desire to pursue trauma neurosurgery while conducting research on either neurodegenerative diseases or the neurological implications of severe substance use disorder.

FAV QUOTE
I’m a leaf on the wind, watch how I soar. – Hoban “Wash” Washburne

HOBBIES/FREE TIME ACTIVITIES or ORGANIZATIONS
Volleyball, Basketball, Super Smash Bros, hiking, slacklining, climbing, spikeball, board games, and Dungeons & Dragons.

View Kayden’s profile page

RESEARCH INTERESTS
My research interests include pharmacology and substance use, cancer biology, oncology therapeutics, gut-brain axis and pharmacology, health disparities, and minority mental health.

HUMAN INTERESTS
My human interest include providing all people with affordable housing, healthcare, and education.

CAREER ASPIRATONS/PLANS
I plan on pursing a M.D./Ph.D. and specializing in oncology or pathology. I’d also like to provide opportunities for historically underrepresented groups to have more access to careers in research and medicine. 

FUN FACTS/FAV QUOTE
“The world is before you and you need not take it or leave it as when you came in” – James Baldwin

HOBBIES/FREE TIME ACTIVITIES or ORGANIZATIONS
I enjoy hiking, plants, music, lifting, and hanging out with friends.

PUBLICATIONS
Muchhala KH, Koseli E, Gade AR, Woods K, Minai S, Kang M, McQuiston AR, Dewey WL, Akbarali HI. Chronic Morphine Induces IL-18 in Ileum Myenteric Plexus Neurons Through Mu-opioid Receptor Activation in Cholinergic and VIPergic Neurons. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol. 2022 Feb 2:10.1007/s11481-021-10050-3. doi: 10.1007/s11481-021-10050-3. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35106734; PMCID: PMC9343479.

View Kareem’s profile page