Kate Tuite, Ph.D.

Research

My overarching goal as a researcher is to contribute to the understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of psychiatric and substance use disorders. To do so, I investigate the effects of chronic stress on cognitive flexibility and the mediating neural circuits. Experiments utilize advanced neurological manipulation and real-time measurements of circuit activity. This research is critical for developing therapeutics that can target untreated symptoms of psychiatric disorders.

As a NIDA T32 appointed Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the laboratory of Dr. David Morilak, under the co-mentorship of Dr. David Maguire, I will expand my knowledge of methods and concepts in behavioral pharmacology by receiving training on operant procedures for studying substance use and abuse behaviors. I will also develop expertise in real-time measurements of neural activity in circuits underlying substance use disorder. My studies will primarily focus on the role of projections to and from the orbitofrontal cortex.

Awards & Accomplishments

NIDA T32 Post-Doctoral Fellowship (2025-Present), Training in Drug Abuse Research: Behavior and Neurobiology, University of Texas San Antonio

NCATS T32 Pre-Doctoral Fellowship (2023-2025), Training in Translational Science, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio

NINDS T32 Pre-Doctoral Fellowship (2020-2021), Training in Neurosciences, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio

Publications

Girotti, M., Boehmer-Cortez, M. G., Tuite, K.M., & Morilak, D. A. (2025). Involvement of a stress-responsive orbito-striatal projection in impulsive action in male rats. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 28(7), PMID: 40576337