Executive Committee
Timothy J. Nice, Ph.D.
Timothy Nice, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the department of molecular microbiology and immunology. His research focuses on host-microbe interactions in the intestine.
The Nice Lab is interested in identifying virus and host genes that determine the outcome of intestinal infection. Understanding the basic functions of these genes in infection and immunity reveal viral and host strategies for survival. Additionally, the lab is interested in how virus-bacteria interactions between the diverse array of microbes that inhabit our intestine impact microbial persistence and the anti-microbial immune response.
Mary M. Heinricher, Ph.D.
The interest of this laboratory is on brainstem mechanisms involved in pain modulation. Our focus is on opioid-sensitive circuits within the rostral ventral medulla, which is a crucial element in a pain-modulating network with links in the midbrain, medulla and spinal cord. This network contributes to the variability in pain sensitivity seen in different situations (for example under conditions of fear or extreme stress), and it is an important substrate for opioids and other analgesic drugs such as cannabinoids. We use single cell recording in combination with pharmacological tools to analyze how this system is activated, and we have identified two distinct classes of pain modulating neurons. ON cells are directly sensitive to opioids, and we recently showed that these neurons facilitate nociceptive transmission. OFF-cells exert a net inhibitory effect on nociception, and we were able to demonstrate that disinhibition of these neurons is central to the antinociceptive actions of opioids within the medulla. Currently, we are interested in identifying neurotransmitters that activate these two cell classes differentially to promote or suppress pain. We are also interested in how this modulatory system is activated under physiological conditions, and are looking at the inputs from limbic forebrain structures such as the hypothalamus to the rostral ventral medulla in an attempt to investigate this issue. Her non-academic interests include native plants and ethnobotany.
Laverne Melón, PhD
Dr. Melón earned her BA in Neuroscience as a Posse Scholar at Middlebury College. At Midd, Dr. Melón developed her scholarly interests as a researcher in Dr. Kim Cronise’s behavioral neuroscience laboratory and research assistant for Feminist Scholar Dr. Sujata Moorti. For her graduate work, she trained with Dr. Stephen Boehm, earning her MA from Binghamton University and PhD in Addiction Neuroscience from Purdue University, as an NIH funded predoctoral fellow in IUPUI’s Genetic Aspects of Alcoholism training program. For postdoctoral training, she joined Dr. Jamie Maguire’s lab as an NIH-IRACDA funded postdoctoral fellow at Tufts University School of Medicine.
At Wesleyan University, the overarching goal of the Melón lab is to discover neurobiological mechanisms that drive sex differences in the development of disorders associated with alcohol exposure. Outside of the lab, Dr. M likes listening to loud music, cooking+eating spicy food and occupying scientific spaces that recognize. Full list of Dr. Melón's Citations here.
Braden Lobingier, PhD
The goal of our lab is to understand drug action at the cellular level. We focus on one of the most prevalent drug targets in the human body, G protein-coupled receptors. GPCRs reside at the interface of chemistry and biology: detecting small molecules—such as neurotransmitters, hormones, or peptides—and translating that information into a physiological response. We are particularly interested in specific GPCRs involved in drug abuse and mental health, and we study these proteins with approaches ranging from chemical biology and genomics to in vitro reconstitution and proteomics.
Kimbree Brown, PhD
A clinical psychologist, Dr. Brown comes to this position with a strong background in program development, implementation, and management. She obtained both her Ph.D. and Master’s degrees in psychology and counseling from the University of Oregon. Her postdoctoral work in Eugene involved coaching, mentoring, and evaluating educators. During that time, she also developed curriculum and training programs and established metrics for program performance.
Since then, she has worked as a program and education manager at Washington State University, Mt. Hood Community College, and for community programs. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Clark College. She has over 10 years of leadership and program management experience, during which she honed her training development and implementation, coaching, and data analysis skills.
Stephanie Stokamer, EdD
Dr. Stokamer is an Associate Professor of Civic Engagement, as well as Director of the McCall Center for Civic Engagement and Director of Applied and Experiential Learning. She has taught in and administered community-based learning courses in both undergraduate and graduate programs since 2005. Her areas of scholarship include service-learning, civic engagement, and education for democracy, particularly with respect to pedagogical practices and faculty development. Dr. Stomaker has contributed to numerous books and publications related to civic learning in higher education, presents regularly at conferences, and conducts workshops for faculty, students, and community partners. Dr. Stomaker is a fundamental part of improving education and student engagement at Pacific University.