ERIN S. CALIPARI, PH.D.
DIRECTOR, Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, Pharmacology

Dr. Calipari received her PhD in Neuroscience in 2013 in the laboratory of Dr. Sara Jones at Wake Forest University School of Medicine where she studied how self-administered drugs altered dopaminergic function to drive addictive behaviors. She then went on to complete her postdoctoral training with Dr. Eric Nestler at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she used circuit probing techniques to understand the temporally specific neural signals that underlie motivation and reward learning. She is currently the Director of the Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research and an Associate Professor at Vanderbilt University in the Department of Pharmacology. Her work seeks to characterize and modulate the precise circuits in the brain that underlie both adaptive and maladaptive processes in reward, motivation, and associative learning. 

See publications from Dr. Calipari: Google Scholar
Contact:  erin.calipari@vanderbilt.edu
Twitter: @TheCalipariLab
               @TheErinCalipari

Maxime Chevee, PH.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow

Maxime received his Ph.D. in 2020 from Johns Hopkins University. During his thesis work in the Brown Laboratory, Maxime studied the relationship between transcriptional identity, cell types and cell states in the mouse cerebral cortex. He also focused on understanding how the diversity of long-range projection neurons contributes to sensory perception, in particular within the corticothalamic and corticoclaustral systems. In August 2020, he joined the Calipari Lab where he studies the neural mechanisms underlying habit formation and maintenance. Outside the lab, Maxime likes to run and to enjoy a glass of wine.

Contact: maxime.f.chevee@vanderbilt.edu

michael Leonard, PH.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow

Michael obtained his Ph.D. from Tufts University in 2022. Under the advisement of Klaus Miczek, he examined how dopamine function is modulated by stress-signaling systems (e.g., CRF), and how long-term drug self-administration can maladaptively modify this signaling interface to potentiate addiction-like behaviors. In the Fall of ’22, Michael joined the Calipari where he intends to further dissect striatal dopamine contributions to the acquisition and maintenance of operant behavior under both positive and negative reinforcement conditions. Outside of the lab, he enjoys watching and playing soccer - despite rapidly diminishing talents. He is also an amateur brewer, occasionally brewing (and consuming) beer.

Contact: michael.z.leonard@vanderbilt.edu

eleanor Holmgren, PH.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow

Eleanor obtained her Ph.D. in 2023 from LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans. She completed her dissertation in the lab of Dr. Tiffany Wills, investigating the effects of adolescent alcohol exposure on neuroplasticity in the BNST and other factors which influence the development of alcohol use disorder. In the spring of '23 Eleanor joined the Calipari lab and is excited to translate her PhD training in electrophysiology into learning voltammetry and optogenetic tools to investigate neurocircuits and sex differences in the nucleus accumbens. In her free time, Eleanor enjoys spending time with her family and two cats, baking, and watching Disney movies.

Contact: eleanor.r.holmgren@vanderbilt.edu

Devan Gomez, PH.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow

Devan received his PhD in 2023 from Marquette University. Under the mentorship of Dr. Matthew Hearing, Devan studied sex- and subcircuit-specific effects of opioid withdrawal in preclinical mouse models. Specifically, he focused on correlating withdrawal-associated synaptic plasticity of dopamine cell subpopulations with shifts in effortful motivation among different reinforcers. Devan joined the Calipari Lab in the spring of 2023, where he continues to study the effects of opioids on the mesolimbic reward system across sexes. Focusing on changes to dopamine dynamics within multiple striatal subregions, his project aims to assess dopamine encoding of both appetitive and aversive stimuli during opioid exposure and withdrawal. He enjoys visual art, singing, board games, and the occasional guitar strumming.

Contact: devan.gomez@vanderbilt.edu

Hannah elam, PH.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow

Hannah received her Ph.D. from UT Health San Antonio in 2023, under the mentorship of Daniel Lodge. Her dissertation work utilized in vivo extracellular electrophysiology to examine stress-induced alterations in VTA dopamine neuron activity. Further, she examined the ability of orexin receptor antagonists to restore dopamine system function, following stress. Hannah joined the Calipari lab in the summer of 2023, where she is excited to continue studying in vivo dopamine dynamics, now in the context of reward and aversive learning. Outside of the lab, Hannah enjoys going to concerts, kayaking, and spending time with her very energetic dog.

Contact: hannah.elam@vanderbilt.edu
Twitter: @hannahelam_

Kathryn Bjornson, PH.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow

Katy received her Ph.D. in 2024 from the University of Wisconsin. She completed her dissertation in the lab of Dr. Michael Cahill, where she investigated the molecular mechanisms of dendritic spine pathology in psychiatric disorders. Katy joined the Calipari lab in the spring of 2024 as a dual mentored postdoc with the Grueter lab. Her research utilizes electrophysiology along with in vivo manipulations to understand how D2 MSNs are dysregulated by alcohol exposure and contribute to negative reinforcement at the systems and physiological level. In her free time, Katy enjoys rock climbing, playing volleyball, and going to concerts.

Contact: kathryn.bjornson@vanderbilt.edu
Twitter: @KatyBjornson

Kimberly Thibeault
Graduate Student

NIH Predoctoral Fellow

Kim graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2015 with a BA in Neuroscience. She started working as a research assistant in Dr. Gurevich's lab at Vanderbilt University following graduation. There, she studied the role of visual arrestin in retinal health and morphology in mouse models. In August 2017, Kim became a first year graduate student in the Interdisciplinary  Graduate Program at Vanderbilt. Her research interests include studying the changes associated with reward and learning, especially in the context of maladaptive behaviors such as drug addiction. In her free time, Kim can be found rock climbing or hiking with her dog.

Contact: kimberly.c.thibeault@vanderbilt.edu
Twitter: @kim_thibeault

Stephanie A. Cajigas
MSTP Student

NIDA MSTP Predoctoral Fellow

Stephanie graduated from Columbia University in 2018 with a BA in Neuroscience and Behavior before joining Vanderbilt as an MSTP student. While there, she worked in Dr. Christine Denny’s lab analyzing the molecular underpinnings of learning and memory by utilizing ArcCreERT2 transgenic mice in an Alzheimer’s Disease context. Stephanie enjoys horseback riding and muay thai kickboxing in her free time.

Contact: stephanie.a.cajigas@vanderbilt.edu
Twitter: @sacajigas

Brooke graduated from Wake Forest University in 2019 with a BS in Biology. There, she worked in Dr. Mark Ferris’ lab and studied the acute and long-term effects of nicotine self-administration in adolescent and adult rats. Brooke joined the Neuroscience Graduate Program in 2020 to further explore her interests in motivated behavior, substance use disorder, and other mental health issues. When she’s not in the lab, you can find Brooke going on hot girl walks, taking a nap, or wandering around a local Target.

Contact: brooke.a.christensen@vanderbilt.edu

soren emerson
Graduate Student

NIDA Predoctoral Fellow

Soren graduated from Davidson College with a BS in Neuroscience in 2021. At Davidson, he worked in Rachid El Bejjani's lab studying the role that cholingeric signaling genes play in the behavioral response of C. elegans to cocaine. Soren was directly admitted to the Neuroscience Graduate Program at Vanderbilt in the fall of 2021. In the Calipari lab, Soren studies the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms that are induced by cocaine across the reward circuitry and how these mechanisms influence neural activity and reinforcement behavior.

Contact: soren.d.emerson@vanderbilt.edu

Kristine Yoon
Graduate Student

NIAAA Predoctoral Fellow

Kristine graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a BA in Biology. Following graduation, she continued to work as a research technician at Jose Moron-Concepcion’s lab in Washington University in St. Louis investigating pain induced adaptations in the mesolimbic reward pathway and how they correlate with negative affective states in pain and opioid seeking. Kristine joined the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program at Vanderbilt in the fall of 2021. She is interested in studying the role of D1s and D2s MSNs in rewarding and aversive learning. Outside the lab, she enjoys trying new restaurants and cafes, rock climbing, and running.

Contact: hye.jean.yoon@vanderbilt.edu
Twitter: @KristineHYoon

JENNIFER TAT
TECHNICIAN

ASPET SURF Scholar/Vanderbilt SURP Scholar
 

  Jennifer is a recent graduate of Vanderbilt University who double majored in Neuroscience and Spanish. As an undergraduate student, she joined the Calipari Lab to study the neurocircuitry underlying substance use disorder and behavior. She successfully defended her honors thesis, which investigated the sex differences in psychostimulant effects at the dopamine transporter. She is excited to re-join the lab as a research technician to continue her work. She hopes to combine her research knowledge and passion for breaking down barriers in education and health to make science more accessible. In her free time, she can be found exploring the Nashville food scene or at a local coffee shop.

Contact: jennifer.tat@vanderbilt.edu

Dev Patel
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER

Dev is a rising fourth-year undergraduate student double majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Medicine, Health, and Society and minoring in South Asian Language and Culture. He joined the Calipari Lab in order to study the role that two genetically defined cell populations in the nucleus accumbens - D1 and D2 medium spiny neurons (MSNs) - have in encoding information about rewarding and aversive stimuli. On campus, Dev is also a part of the Undergraduate Honor Council, a residential advisor, and a VSVS co-president. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball at the rec, hanging out with friends, and exploring new places in Nashville!

Contact: dev.d.patel@vanderbilt.edu

Grace is a rising fourth-year undergraduate researcher from Santa Cruz, California, majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Spanish. She is a pre-medical student interested in pursuing a career in psychiatry. She joined the Calipari lab to study the neuronal circuitry and mechanisms involved in the reward pathways in the brain and how this plays a role in drug addiction and drug behavior. Specifically, she is focused on the sex differences in the motivation for drug-seeking behaviors. She is also a part of the Women’s Club Soccer team, and is an executive member of Project C.U.R.E. and Global Brigades here on campus. In her free time, Grace enjoys rock climbing, cooking, and surfing (when she is back in California).

Contact: grace.e.bailey@vanderbilt.edu

Courtney Kim
Undergraduate Researcher

Courtney is a rising fourth-year undergraduate student double majoring in Neuroscience and Philosophy. She joined the Calipari Lab to study the neural mechanisms underlying habit formation and maintenance, focusing on the striatum. On campus, she is involved in student organizations such as the Vanderbilt Student Government, MEDLIFE, and VUTheatre. In her free time, Courtney can be found learning new instruments or traveling to different places.

Contact: jihoo.kim.1@vanderbilt.edu

Rishik bethi
Undergraduate Researcher

SyBURRE Undergraduate Research Scholar

Rishik is a rising second-year undergraduate student doubling majoring in Neuroscience and Medicine, Health, and Society with a minor in Sociology. He joined the Calipari Lab to study the underlying neural circuitry that contributes to addiction and reward-learning, specifically exploring the nucleus accumbens. On campus, Rishik loves volunteering at local middle schools through VSVS. In his free time, he likes rocking climbing, listening to music, and trying new food!

Contact: rishik.bethi@vanderbilt.edu

Abigail Carr
Undergraduate Researcher

NIH START & MARC Research Scholar

ASPET SURF Scholar
 

Abbie is a rising second-year undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University double majoring in Chemistry and Neuroscience. She joined the Calipari lab to study the neural mechanisms underlying substance use disorder and motivated behaviors. On campus, Abbie is a START Summer Scholar, and a member of the Vanderbilt Student Volunteers for Science. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, yoga, and spending time with friends and family.

Contact: abigail.l.carr@vanderbilt.edu