TAFFE - Key Persons
Amber Kirsten worked in the laboratory from 2000-2005. This resulted in 62 research publications. [Search Pubmed]
Job Titles:
- Laboratory As a Research Associate
- Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Gutierrez joined the Laboratory as a research associate in 2018. His work is focused on the self-administration of opioids via vapor inhalation and on lasting behavioral consequences of repeated exposure to stimulants. Arnold was awarded the highly competitive UCSD Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2020.
Brent Kisby joined the Laboratory for six months in 2015 as part of an undergraduate externship through Northeastern University. His work resulted in one published research article. [Search Pubmed]
Carrie L. Wade, Ph.D. worked in the Laboratory as a research associate from 2014-2015. Her work in the laboratory focused on the rewarding effects of the prescription analgesics oxycodone. [Search PubMed]
Chris C. Lay joined the laboratory as a summer intern and then returned the following year as a technician, ultimately contributing authorship effort to 6 research publications. He later earned his doctorate in Neuroscience from the University of California, Irvine. [Search Pubmed]
Eric L. Harvey, Ph.D. worked in the laboratory as a Research Associate from 2017-2020. His work was focused on cathinone drug self-administration and the analysis of drug distribution following vapor inhalation as compared with parenteral injection routes of administration. His work in the laboratory resulted in 2 published research articles. [ Search PubMed]
Glenn Dickinson worked in the laboratory as a technician from 2008-2009.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Project Scientist
- Laboratory As a Research Associate
Dr. Nguyen joined the Laboratory as a research associate in 2015. His work focuses on the effects of oxycodone self-administration, vapor inhalation delivery of various drugs of abuse and the effects of substituted cathinone stimulants. Jacques was selected as a 2017 Washington Fellow by the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. Jacques was awarded the prestigious Stephen G. Holtzman Travel Award from CPDD in 2019. Jacques was awarded the K99/R00 Pathways to Independence award in 2019.
Jason Ejimogu joined the laboratory for a summer SURF project in 2018 during his studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
K. M. Creehan has worked in the laboratory as a Senior Research Assistant since 2010.
M. Jerry Wright, Jr, Ph.D. worked in the Laboratory as a Research Associate from 2009 to 2012. His work was dedicated to the behavioral impact of chronic binge alcohol exposure, acute effects of cannabinoid drugs and physiological impacts of cathinone stimulant drugs. This work resulted in 11 published research articles (7 first-author). [Search PubMed]
Mehrak Paydar, Ph.D. worked in the laboratory as a Research Associate from 2015-2019. Her work was directed at examining potential sex differences in the responses to vapor inhalation of THC and nicotine as well as in the rewarding effects of psychostimulant drugs. Her work in the laboratory resulted in 5 first-author published research articles. [ Search PubMed]
Dr. Taffe received his bachelor's degree from the Colorado College in 1990 and then began graduate studies in the Department of Psychology at UCSD. Upon earning his Ph.D. in 1995 he completed postdoctoral work in the Department of Psychiatry at UCSD and in the Department of Neuropharmacology at The Scripps Research Institute. He then started his own lab at The Scripps Research Institute in 2000 with a focus on the behavioral effects of drugs of abuse. Professor Taffe was recruited to the Department of Psychiatry and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy at UCSD in 2019. Twitter: @effatma
Michelle L. Miller, Ph.D. Michelle worked in the Laboratory as a Research Associate from 2010 to 2013. Her work focused on the in vivo assessment of a candidate vaccine against methamphetamine, as well as on the effects of acute exposure to cathinone stimulant drugs. This work resulted in 5 published research articles (4 first-author). [Search PubMed]
Mitch Turner joined the laboratory for a summer research experience in 2019, during his studies at The Colorado College
Rachel Tran joined the laboratory for a summer research experience in 2019, during her studies at the University of Washington.
Rebecca D. Crean, Ph.D. worked in the Laboratory as a Research Associate from 2004 to 2006. Her work focused on the behavioral impact of chronic binge alcohol exposure and thermoregulatory impacts of stimulant drugs. This work resulted in 8 published research articles (3 first-author). [Search PubMed]
Shawn M. Aarde, Ph.D. worked in the Laboratory as a Research Associate from 2010 to 2014. His work focused on rodent self-administration models with an interest in chronopharmacology, exercise and MDMA. He was also a key contributor to developing an e-cigarette based inhalation model of drug exposure. This work resulted in 13 published research articles (6 first-author) and one solicited review. [Search PubMed]
Simon N. Katner, Ph.D. worked in the Laboratory as a Research Associate from 2001 to 2005. His work developed nonhuman primate models of alcohol exposure and examined the behavioral impacts of psychoactive drugs. This work resulted in 8 published research articles (3 first-author) and one review article. [Search PubMed]
Stefani Von Huben worked in the laboratory from 2002-2005. This resulted in 6 research publications including 2 first-author efforts. [Search Pubmed]