Amanda Namchuk
PhD Student
IMS, University of Toronto
As a PhD student in the Galea lab, I investigate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying negative cognitive bias, a cognitive symptom of depression that we can model in rats. My current research focus is characterizing the types of neurons recruited during negative cognitive bias and establishing the influence of sex and chronic stress on this circuitry. As an undergraduate at Washington University in St. Louis I worked in two developmental neuroscience labs, first exploring the correlation between cognitive development and white matter integrity in children with Sickle Cell Disease, and then piloting an attention-based computer task for the treatment of anxiety in children and adolescents. Upon graduation, I worked as a research assistant in the Behavioral Psychopharmacology Lab at Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD researching novel mechanisms for antidepressant drugs. Outside of the lab, I enjoy any activity that will get me outside, weightlifting, reading, trying new recipes, and listening to podcasts.