Welcome to NeuroMDLab
Our Research
My current research broadly centers around understanding how sex differences that emerge during adolescence impact long-term changes in brain and behavior. I am particularly interested in investigating how binge alcohol exposure during adolescence changes 1) alcohol use disorders, 2) mood disorders, and 3) abnormal brain development in adulthood. This work is accomplished using preclinical animal models of adolescent binge alcohol exposure.


Recent Research Publications
Recent Research Publications
- Healy, K.L., Kibble, S.A., Bell, A., Kramer, G., Maldonado-Devincci, A.M., and Swartzwelder, H.S. 2022. Sex differences in the effects of adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure on exploratory and anxiety-like behavior in adult rats. Alcohol, 98; 43-50. PMCID: PMC8714675 doi: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2021.11.002
- Maldonado-Devincci A.M., Makdisi, J.G.**, Hill, A.M.**, Waters, R.C.**, Hall, N.I.*, Shobande, M.J.*, and Kumari, A.* 2021. Adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure induces sex-dependent divergent changes in ethanol drinking and motor activity during adolescence and adulthood in C57BL/6J mice. Journal of Neuroscience Research, 00; 1-13. PMID: 33725399 doi: 10.1002/jnr.24814.
- Han. J., Nepal, P.**, Odelade, A.**, Freely, F.D.*, Belton, D.M.*, Graves Jr, J.L., and Maldonado-Devincci A.M. 2021. High-fat diet-induced weight gain, behavioral deficits, and dopamine changes in young C57BL/6J mice. Frontiers in Nutrition 7:353. PMC7855171 doi: 10.3389/fnut.2020.591161
- Maldonado-Devincci A.M. and Kirstein, C.L. 2020.Chronic ethanol exposure during adolescence increases voluntary ethanol consumption in adulthood in female Sprague Dawley rats. Brain Sciences, 10(12): E900 doi: 10.3390/brainsci10120900.
- Wang, B. and Maldonado-Devincci A.M., and Jiang, L. 2020. Evaluating line-broadening factors on a reference spectrum as a bucketing method for NMR based metabolomics. Analytical Biochemistry, 606, 113872. doi: 10.1016/j.ab.2020.113872
- Gamble, D.N.**, Josefson, C.C., Hennessey, M.K., Davis, A.M.*, Waters, R.C.*, Jones, B.N.*, Belton, D.M.*, Hall, N.I.*, Costen, T.J.*, Kirstein, C.L., & Maldonado-Devincci, A.M. 2019. Social interaction with an alcohol-intoxicated or cocaine-injected peer selectively alters social and drinking behaviors in adolescent male and female rats. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 43(12), 2525-2535. PMID31585020 doi: 10.1111/acer.14208
- Stevenson, R.A., Hoffman, J.L., Maldonado-Devincci, A.M., Faccidomo, S., & Hodge, C.W. 2019. MGluR5 activity is required for the induction of ethanol behavioral sensitization and associated changes in ERK MAP kinase phosphorylation in the nucleus accumbens shell and lateral habenula. Behavioural Brain Research, 367(23), 19-27. PMC6476635 doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.03.038.
- Bell, R., Hauser, S.R., Liang, T., Sari, Y., Maldonado-Devincci A.M., and Rodd, Z.A. 2017. Rat animal models for screening medications to treat alcohol abuse and dependence. Neuropharmacology, 122, 201-243. PMC5659204 doi:0.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.02.004
Our Research Team
Lab Shenanigans

Jaela Melton
Senior Biology 2024

Kaylie Shoffner
Sophomore Biology 2026

Alyssa Lopez
Senior Biology 2024

Iyona Barnes
Sophomore Nursing 2026

Tayler Leonard
Sophomore Liberal Studies 2026

Erica Scott
Senior Chemistry 2024

Dashear Hill
Senior Child Development 2024

Myla Fowlkes
Junior Bioengineering 2025

Elise Larry
Sophomore Psychology 2026

Ashud Kanu
Senior Environmental Systems Studies 2024

Kaila Dawkins
Senior Industrial & Systems Engineering 2024

Savannah Spearman
Sophomore Biology 2026