My research focuses on studying cognitive processes such as learning, working memory, and attention. I am specifically interested in studying the impact of Cannabis exposure on these cognitive functions in both acute and prenatal exposure models, as well as investigating the underlying neural circuitry involved.
My research investigates the developmental implications of cannabis exposure during pregnancy. Ultimately I’m interested in the intersection between cannabinoids and other psychoactive substance use, and their downstream effects on behaviour and health long term.
My undergraduate research has focused on the neurobiology of learning and memory. Specifically, I am investigating the role of excitatory/inhibitory mechanisms modulating working memory, including the role of NMDA receptors and the endocannabinoid system in cognitive behavioural outcomes.
I am interested in investigating the underlying neurophysiology of impaired cognition and behaviour. My honours research will use various behavioural tests to specifically look at the effects of prenatal THC exposure on cortico-limbic brain development in the fetus. Ultimately, this project will provide insight into the potential risks of using a drug which many people consider to be benign in effect, and safe for use during pregnancy.
I love the brain! During my BA Honours & MSc research, I used behavioral, pharmacokinetic and electrophysiological approaches to screen preclinical drug compounds targeting the endocannabinoid system, for therapeutic efficacy related to anxiety, schizophrenia & epilepsy. Presently, I am investigating a fascinating area of the brain called the retrosplenial cortex in an attempt to understand how the brain integrates multiple sources of sensory information into a cohesive autobiographical memory, in the mammalian brain.
I am interested in unravelling the complex neural circuitry supporting learning and memory in the brain. Using advanced behavioral neuroscience techniques, my honours research has focused on the key mechanisms and structures that drive incidental memory formation. Taken together, my research offers new insight into how cortico-cortical brain signalling gives rise to incidental memory and cognitive function.
