Systems Neuroscience and Behavior Lab

Principal Investigator:

Benjamin J. Clark, Ph.D. 
Associate Professor of Psychology 

Graduate Students:

Gabriela Acosta, B.S. (Psychology)
Project: Lateral thalamus and Memory

Lilliana Sanchez, M.S. (Psychology)
Student in the Alcohol Research Training in Neurobiology Program (T32 NIAAA) 2020-2023
Neuroscience Scholars Program 2017-2019
Project: Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Hippocampal Dynamics during Paired-Associate Learning and Memory

Tia Donaldson, M.S. (Psychology)
Neuroscience Scholars Program 2020-2022
Project: Alzheimer’s disease and Locus Coeruleus Function in Memory (co-advised with Dr. Sam McKenzie)

Undergraduate Research Assistants:

Judit Huerta (Criminology/Psychology)
Student in the McNair Scholar Program
Project: Lateral Thalamus and Spatial Memory

Ariyana LaCour (Chemical Engineering)
Project: Head Direction Cell Dynamics During Spatial Memory and Sleep

Erin Melendrez (Psychology)
Project: Alzheimer’s disease and Locus Coeruleus

Kenda Pina (Biology)
Student in the New Mexico Alliance for Minority Participation in Research
Project: Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Spatial Memory

Rhudovic Ramos (Biochemistry/Psychology)
Project: Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Cholinergic Systems

Zara Roy (Psychology)
Student in the Psychology Honors Program
Project: Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Sex Differences in Anxiety and Memory

Jessica Walker (Psychology/Nursing)
Project: Alzheimer’s disease and Sex Differences in Anxiety and Depression

Enhui Wang (Psychology/Family & Child Studies)
Project: Spatial Frames of Reference in Home Base Behavior

Lab Alumni:

Over 30 students have participate in our research program. This includes students enrolled in graduate studies (MS and PhD programs) and the Psychology Honors program, including a recipient of the Rachael Dowler Outstanding Honors Thesis Award. We have also had undergraduate students participate in Psych 499 courses, the McNair Scholar program, El Puente Research Fellow program, PREP Scholar program, New Mexico AMP, and IMSD Student program. Some of our alumni have gone onto professional, post-doctoral, and graduate studies. Below is a partial list of our alumni and where they are now. 

Zachary Villasenor, Psych 499 – Currently an RA in UNM Neuroscience

Laura Berkowitz, PhD student – Currently a post-doc at Cornell University

Ryan Harvey, PhD student – Currently a post-doc at Cornell University

Gabriela Acosta, Psych 499 – Currently a grad student at the University of New Mexico

Judit Huerta, McNair Scholar – Accepted grad student position at Temple University

Kimberly Rogge-Obando, McNair Scholar – Currently a grad student at Vanderbilt University

Monica Goncalves-Garcia, Psych 499 – Currently a grad student at the University of New Mexico

Tram Le, Psych 499 – Currently an RA at UNM Health Sciences Center

Margaret Austin, Psych Honors – Currently an RA at the Center for Applied Research and Analysis

Danielle Benthem, Psych 499 – Currently a grad student at Florida State University

Krystalyn Madden, Psych 499 – Currently a Clinical Mental Health Counselor

Jack Madden, Psych 499 – Currently a grad student at the University of New Mexico

Shannon Thompson, PREP Scholar – Currently a grad student at Miami University

Elizabeth Sneddon-Yepez, Psych 499 – Currently a grad student at Miami University

Lilliana Sanchez, Psych 499 – Currently a grad student at the University of New Mexico