Overview
My research explores how maternal diet shapes offspring brain development by regulating critical neuro-immune interactions during postnatal development.
Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations
Postdoctoral Associate
Psychology & Neuroscience,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Postdoctoral Associate
Neurobiology,
Basic Science Departments
Recent Scholarly Works
Context-dependent effects of microglial MyD88 removal on voluntary ethanol consumption in mice.
Journal article Neuropharmacology · November 2026 Neuroimmune signaling is increasingly implicated in alcohol use disorder (AUD). Microglia, the brain's resident immune cells, signal in part through the adaptor protein myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88), a key mediator of innate immune re ... Full text CiteMicroglial MyD88-dependent signaling influences extracellular matrix development and interneuron maturation in the hippocampus.
Preprint · December 11, 2025 Full text Link to item CiteEstradiol, via estrogen receptor β signaling, mediates stress-susceptibility in the male brain.
Journal article Molecular psychiatry · October 2025 Dysregulation of normal reward processing via psychological stress contributes to the development of psychiatric disorders. Estrogen is involved in reward processing in females, but this effect has not been well studied in males despite the abundant conver ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
Microglial-serotonin interactions in the developing brain.
ResearchPostdoctoral Associate · Awarded by National Institute of Mental Health · 2024 - 2029Microglial MyD88 in Mouse Models of Excessive Alcohol Intake
ResearchPostdoctoral Associate · Awarded by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism · 2022 - 2027Gut-brain dysfunction following combined prenatal stressors: relevance for autism
ResearchPostdoc Scholar · Awarded by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences · 2021 - 2027View All Grants