I received my Ph.D. in Psychology with a Behavioral Neuroscience emphasis from Yale University.  My doctoral research was focused on the role of the amygdala in fear learning and how stress modulates learning and memory.  For my postdoctoral training, I worked in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University.  My primary research goal has been to use a multidisciplinary approach to understand amygdala-dopamine systems in learning and memory, and applying this knowledge to better understand the nature of emotional and cognitive problems seen among people with neurological disorders.  In particular, my current research focuses on examining the nature of cognitive functions (e.g. attention) in which the amygdala central nucleus and substantia nigra circuits are involved.  This line of research is especially relevant for the understanding and treatment of cognitive problems associated with Parkinson’s disease.