Fellowship Alert: Natalie Johnson Awarded NIH Fellowship

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Third year Pharmacology PhD candidate Natalie Johnson of the Wesson Lab has been awarded a highly competitive 3-year duration fellowship from the National Institutes of Health. The title of her grant is “Olfactory Mechanisms Supporting Attraction to e-Cigarette Odors”. In her project, Natalie proposes to investigate the neural circuits underlying the reinforcing effects of electronic cigarettes, especially how chemical additives (also known as “flavors”) in electronic cigarettes contribute to the rewarding effects of electronic cigarette use. Her project will involve recordings from neurons in the brains of behaving mice, optogenetic manipulations of neurotransmission, in vivo pharmacology, and computation methods. In addition to being a member of the Department of Pharmacology, Natalie is also a member of the UF Center for Addiction Research and Education and the UF Center for Smell and Taste. Congratulations Natalie!