Stephanie's initial project as a 2018 CCB Fellow is an investigation of G protein-coupled α1 adrenergic receptor-mediated synaptic input onto serotonergic neurons, laying the fundamental framework towards understanding noradrenergic control of serotonin neuronal circuits. This work coincides with the research she is doing as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Carl Lupica's laboratory at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). There, she is merging her training as an ion channel and synaptic electrophysiologist with optogenetic and behavioral neuroscience approaches to understand the many fundamental ways by which G protein-coupled receptors influence neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission, in physiological and pathological contexts.
Stephanie received her B.A. in Biology from Reed College in 2007 and her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the Vollum Institute at Oregon Health & Science University in 2015. She started her research career with John Williams studying elements that regulate dopamine transmission in the ventral midbrain. After obtaining her degree, she trained as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Bruce Bean's laboratory at Harvard Medical School where she studied endocannabinoids.