Emily Devine

Graduate Student

devineea@mail.uc.edu

Emily is a PhD candidate in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Cincinnati. As a member of the Herman lab, her work focuses on investigating the role of estradiol in the prevention of traumatic stress-induced cognitive dysfunction in female rats. While women are twice as likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), there is growing evidence that females are more resilient against the cognitive effects of traumatic stress than males. Recent work suggests estradiol (E2), the body’s primary form of estrogen, plays an essential role in this resilience. While E2 can provide resiliency, states of chronic estradiol deficiency, such as those experienced during menopause and primary ovarian insufficiency, can increase the risk of developing stress-related disorders and cognitive deficits. Chronic estrogen deficiency is associated with long-term health risks such as Alzheimer’s disease and current treatments offer mixed results with risky side effects. Given this information, she is currently using rodent models of chronic E2 deficiency and PTSD to investigate molecular mechanisms that could be utilized to target novel therapeutics for the treatment of these conditions. When not in the lab, Emily enjoys crocheting, playing video games, and hanging out with her friends, family, and two cats, Arthur and Miles.

Ben Packard

Lab Manager

packarba@ucmail.uc.edu

James Herman, PhD

Professor & Chair

hermanjs@ucmail.uc.edu

Dr. Herman earned his B.S. in Chemistry/Psychology at Hobart College and his Ph.D. from the University of Rochester (Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy). His postdoctoral work was performed at the Mental Health Research Institute ( University of Michigan). He began his academic career in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at the University of Kentucky, where he was an Associate Professor and the James and Barbara Holsinger Chair of Anatomy and Neurobiology. Dr. Herman joined the University of Cincinnati faculty in 2000 and is currently the Flor van Maanen Chair and Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology. He also riects the University of Cincinnati Neurobiology Research Center and serves as Associate Director of the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute. He was the recipient of the 2016 Distinguished Research Professor award (STEMM) from the University of Cincinnati, and was awarded a Lifetime Achievement award from the International Society for Psychoneuroendocrinology. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of Stress, an international journal that publishes basic and clinical studies focused on biological aspects of stress. He has also served on several editorial boards, advisory boards and national and international grant review panels. Dr. Herman’s major research interests include structural, functional and molecular biological principles underlying brain stress integration, with an emphasis on delineating mechanisms linking stress with mental illness, neurological disorders and metabolic disease. He has made major contributions to our understanding of the role of limbic neurocircuitry in stress adaptation and stress-related pathologies, and has applied to state-of-the-art approaches to delineate molecular mechanisms underlying stress hormone signaling in the brain.

Lorena Ragonesi

Graduate Student

mesquila@mail.uc.edu

James (Brad) Chambers, PhD

Research Assistant

brad.chambers@uc.edu

I came to the University of Cincinnati in 2002 as a postdoc in the lab of Dr. Randy Seeley, then managed the UC Psychiatry Dept. Behavior Core with Dr. Stephen Benoit, and maintained a transgenic rat colony for Dr. Shailendra Patel. In Dr. Herman’s lab I am now applying my knowledge of behavioral assays as those behaviors relate to physiological responses to stress. I’m a proud alum of Florida State University (PhD Neuroscience) and the University of North Carolina Charlotte (BA Psychology).

Taylorae Dunn

Research Assistant

dunnt9@ucmail.uc.edu

I work on studies related to PTSD, PD, stress and behavior. Currently I am focused on running ELISAs to measure corticosterone, the primary stress hormone in rodents. I also conduct behavioral tasks, including the 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task (5CSRTT), which examines key cognitive functions such as motivation, attention, and impulsivity. I am a helping hand in any area where assistance is needed within the lab. Outside of the lab, I enjoy traveling with my family to cheer on the Green Bay Packers!