Recent Graduates

HUDSON R. SMITH, Ph.D.

Defense Date: December 2022
UT Health San Antonio Mentor: Kelly Berg, Ph.D.
Dissertation: ‘Pharmacological characterization of methocinnamox: A long-lasting Mu opioid receptor antagonist with allosteric properties’
Current Position:
Postdoctoral Fellow
University of Texas Medical Branch with John A. Allen, Ph.D., Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

HANNAH ELAM, Ph.D.

Defense Date: April 2023
UT Health San Antonio Mentor: Daniel Lodge, Ph.D.
Dissertation: ‘Examining orexinergic modulation of the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus as a novel therapeutic for PTSD and comorbid psychosis’
Current Position:
Postdoctoral Fellow
Vanderbilt School of Medicine with Erin S. Calipari, Ph.D., Department of Pharmacology

ALEXANDRA MCCOY, Ph.D.

Defense Date: May 2023
UT Health San Antonio Mentor: Daniel Lodge, Ph.D.
Dissertation: ‘α5-GABAA receptors as a therapeutic target for PTSD with comorbid psychosis’
Current Position:
Postdoctoral Fellow
University of Oregon with Emily Sylwestrak, Ph.D., Institute of Neuroscience

AMBER ASHER, Ph.D.

Defense Date: June 2023
UT Health San Antonio Mentor: David Morilak, Ph.D.
Dissertation: ‘Characterizing hippocampal-dependent memory and inflammation in a novel model of chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairments’
Current Position:
 

ALEEZA STEPHENS, Ph.D.

Defense Date: June 2023
UT Health San Antonio Mentor: David Morilak, Ph.D.
Dissertation: ‘Evaluating the ambiguous cue interpretation test as a model of cognitive biases in rats‘
Current Position: