Research
I joined the Khoshbouei Lab within the College of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience in February of 2024. My research project, Uncovering the Sex-Specific Effects of Prenatal Methamphetamine Exposure on Peripheral Immune Function, focuses on understanding the effects of in utero exposure to methamphetamine on peripheral immunity and the maturation of the dopaminergic system. Our group hypothesizes that prenatal methamphetamine exposure alters neuroimmune development, which also affects peripheral immunity.
Representative image: Contact between the dopaminergic axon of a saline-exposed male mouse and microglia in the ventral striatum
Research
Previous work by our group has confirmed the presence of a sex-specific response to prenatal methamphetamine exposure. Under the guidance of Emily Miller, we seek to explore a novel immunological response to prenatal methamphetamine exposure in the periphery. My role is to employ behavioral, histological, and biochemical techniques such as flow cytometry, immunohistochemical histology, and image analysis. Ultimately, we seek to utilize this mouse model to investigate why individuals exposed to methamphetamine in utero display an increased, and often sex-dependent, vulnerability to neurodevelopmental disease and altered immune system physiology.
Representative image: Max IP image of Dorsal Striatum
