简介

Research Interests: Japanese quail sexual behavior Drug taking behavior Risky sexual behavior Research I received my Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology in 1994 from the University of Texas, under the supervision of Michael Domjan. My dissertation research was on the conditioned anticipatory responses of male Japanese quail during sexual behavior. From 1994-1996, I continued this line of research as a postdoctoral fellow here at the University of Kentucky. I was hired as faculty after completion of my postdoctoral position, and am currently a Professor. The overall goal of my research has been to contribute to the understanding of learning mechanisms involved in motivated behaviors, in particular sexual behavior and drug-taking behavior. Both of these behaviors are heavily influenced by specific stimuli in the environment. Therefore, the main focus of my behavioral research has been on how various cues come to control and modify these highly motivated behaviors. In addition, because in humans, there appears to be some relationship between drug taking behavior and risky sexual behavior, we’re interested in the causal relationship between these two motivated behaviors. Students in my laboratory have an opportunity to acquire an intensive and enriched experience in basic behavioral research in a closely-mentored setting. While in my laboratory, students can expect to gain a strong background in the fundamentals of learning and psychopharmacology, a solid foundation of experimental design, and the establishment of a solid publication record. Emphasis on these basic skills is aimed to help students be more competitive on the job market upon graduation and is also specifically geared toward students who want to engage in more molecular and neuroscience techniques at the post-doctoral level.