Valerie Espinal Abreu, B.A.

Research Interests

Valerie Espinal Abreu joined Dr. Lorenzo Leggio’s CPN in July 2023. She received her B.A. from Vassar College in Neuroscience and Behavior and minored in Italian Studies in 2023. During her undergraduate studies, she was able to take a wide range of courses that have fostered an interest in research to further investigate novel treatment methods through neurological, psychological, and behavioral approaches. She has also had the opportunity to apply her pre-clinical knowledge from Vassar College at an internship where she used chemogenetic manipulations to observe the effects that activating and inhibiting POMC and AgRP neurons would have on feeding behavior, insulin resistance, and glucose tolerance. Valerie’s work at CPN relates to the role of the gut-brain axis in addictive disorders. She currently supports in-patient and outpatient clinical studies with neuropsychopharmacology interventions in people with alcohol use disorder.