Description

Samantha Scudder is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. She received her Sc.B. in Neuroscience from Brown University and a Ph.D. in Neurosciences from UC San Diego. Her central research interest is in how neurons can modify their connections with one another to support learning and behavioral changes. In the laboratory of Dr. Gentry Patrick, Samantha explored the role of protein degradation systems in synaptic transmission and plasticity, primarily using electrophysiology. In her first postdoctoral appointment at New York University in the laboratory of Dr. Adam Carter, she focused on the synaptic plasticity evoked by repeated drug exposure in mice using optogenetics and electrophysiology. Currently, she is working with Dr. Karen Szumlinski to continue exploring how drugs of abuse reshape the neural circuits that control emotion and motivation. Her work is funded by a postdoctoral NRSA from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and a NARSAD Young Investigator Award from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. Outside of the lab, Samantha is passionate about outreach and education.