The CNBC is hosting an inaugural Early Career Research (ECR) Seminar Series. This series features traditionally underrepresented and minority neuroscientists at early career stages (senior graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-stage faculty), who are actively conducting exciting work in fields relevant to the CNBC community. A main goal of the seminar series is to create a platform for outstanding young scientists from diverse backgrounds to share their research and network with the CNBC community.

Because of COVID-19, Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 Sessions will be virtual. Each session will feature a 30-minute talk from a trainee and a 30-minute talk from an early-career faculty speaker.

Organizing Committee:

  • Susanne Ahmari, MD, PhD – Associate Professor, Pitt Psychiatry
  • Andreea Bostan, PhD – Research Assistant Professor, Pitt Neurobiology
  • Kate Hong, PhD – Assistant Professor, CMU Biological Sciences & Carnegie Mellon Neuroscience Institute
  • Millie Rincon-Cortes, PhD – Research Assistant Professor, Pitt Neuroscience
  • Afonso Silva, PhD – Professor, Pitt Neurobiology
  • Sierra Stringfield, PhD – Postdoctoral Fellow, Pitt Psychiatry
  • Gelsy Torres-Ovideo, PhD – Associate Professor, Pitt Bioengineering
  • Sossena Wood, PhD – Postdoctoral Fellow, CMU Biomedical Engineering
  • Timothy Verstynen, PhD – Associate Professor, CMU Psychology & Carnegie Mellon Neuroscience Institute

Follow us on Twitter (@CNBC_ECR_Series)

Spring 2021 Schedule

Wednesday, February 10, 2021 1:00–2:15 pm ET (US and Canada)

https://pitt.zoom.us/j/91951109852 

Shana Augustin, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Dopamine modulation of corticostriatal plasticity and its behavioral implications

 

Millie Rincón-Cortés, PhD

Research Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh

Stress-induced neuroplasticity in the female dopamine system
 

Thursday, February 25, 2021 4:00–5:15 pm ET (US and Canada)

https://pitt.zoom.us/j/98294585507

Sierra Stringfield, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow, Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh

Exploring the impact of adolescent THC exposure on prefrontal cortical development

 

Sade Spencer, PhD

Assistant Professor, Pharmacology, University of Minnesota

Pharmacological modulation of AMPK to treat cocaine addiction 
 

Wednesday, March 3, 2021 1:00–2:15 pm ET (US and Canada)

https://pitt.zoom.us/j/99126007697

Divya Subramanian

Graduate Student, Duke University

Relative Contributions of Bayesian and Discriminative Models to Active Visual Perception

 

 

Pablo Iturralde, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Engineering, Universidad Católica del Uruguay

Bayesian latent models for time-series analysis in sensorimotor learning studies