Gilman Lab
Health & Behavioral Neuroscience
Land Acknowledgement
Adapted from Kent State's School of Theatre and Dance
The traditional people this land belongs to include the Nations of the Delaware, Miami, Mingo, Ottawa, Shawnee, Wyandot and Cayuga. This land acknowledgement pays respect to the traditions, ancestors, and contemporary cultural and spiritual practices of Indigenous Americans. Please take a moment to consider the legacies of violence and displacement that have removed Indigenous Americans from their land. The Gilman Lab recognizes that our work takes place on this land that was forcibly and unlawfully taken from these Indigenous Nations.
Research in the Gilman lab is focused on bridging gaps in knowledge about how genes, diet, and exposure to environmental stress interact to promote (mal)adaptive behavioral changes. Such behavioral shifts can include persistent consumption of unhealthy diet, inappropriate responses to stressors, or both, which can contribute to psychiatric disease vulnerability (e.g., depression, anxiety) plus comorbidity with cardiovascular or metabolic diseases. Specifically, we are investigating how diet- and stress-modulated neuroactive hormones and neuroinflammation modulate dopaminergic signaling, and interact with genetic differences that influence dopaminergic signaling, to initiate and perpetuate feed-forward pathophysiology that can dramatically impact behavior.
The Gilman Lab advocates for inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) in neuroscience. We recognize that IDEA are crucial to the success and advancement of neuroscience, and science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) fields more broadly. In addition to educating ourselves and continually working to improve IDEA of/in our lab, Dr. Gilman engages in collaborative research to promote IDEA practices in STEAM, and to increase retention of people with historically excluded and minoritized identities in STEAM fields.
People
People are the most important lab resource. Meet our essential lab members.
Gilman Lab
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement
In the Gilman Lab, we actively work to perpetuate a welcoming, comfortable, and accepting work environment for individuals of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, all cultures and religions, all gender and sexual identities, and all financial and academic backgrounds. We recognize that everyone has had to learn things - no one is born knowing neuroscience or lab techniques. We require that all lab members are treated with respect, and are met where they are in their learning path. Our desire is that every lab member can be their genuine selves in lab, as much as they feel comfortable doing so. We work to actively educate ourselves about historical and present biases, prejudices, inequities, and abuse against marginalized, oppressed, and minoritized groups through regular lab meeting discussions. In doing so, we have also encountered many excellent resources, and gladly share those here.
Jasmin Beaver, M.A.
Graduate Student, Joined 2019
Jasmin graduated from Kent State University with a B.S in Psychology and a minor in Biological Sciences in 2018. Her research interests include the impact of stress and diet on behavior as well as how that may contribute to the development of neuropsychiatric disorders and health-related conditions. She is also interested in the development and improvement of pharmacological treatments for different neuropsychiatric disorders.
Brady Weber, M.S.
Lab Manager, Joined 2021
Brady graduated from Slippery Rock University and from Kent State University, receiving a B.S. in Neuroscience and a B.S. in Biology, respectively. In 2021, he earned his Master’s degree in Pathology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. His goals include attending medical school and pursuing interests in Surgery, Oncology, Neurology, and Cardiology.
Marissa Nicodemus
She/Her
Undergraduate Student, Joined 2022
Marissa is an undergraduate student majoring in psychology. She plans to pursue a graduate degree in either cognitive or behavioral neuroscience. Her research interests include the effects of environmental stressors on the brain, particularly the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
Lauren Scrimshaw
She/Her
Undergraduate Student, Joined 2022
Lauren is an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology, with a minor in Biological Sciences. Lauren plans to earn a graduate degree in Cognitive Neuroscience. Lauren's research interests include how neurotransmitters and genes can lead to psychiatric disorders.
Alli Hite
She/Her/Hers
Undergraduate Student, Joined 2022
Alli is an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology, with a minor in Biology. Alli plans to earn a graduate degree in Cognitive Psychology. Alli's research interests include how behavior/ learning can be altered depending on the environment.
Cameron Russell
She/Her
Undergraduate Student, Joined 2022
Cameron is an undergraduate student majoring in neuroscience with a concentration in pre medicine and a minor in psychology. She is planning on either getting a graduate degree in neuroscience or going to medical school. Her research interests include cognitive and behavioral neuroscience.
Elayna Hallal
She/Her
Undergraduate Student, Joined 2023
Elayna is pursuing a Bachelor's degree in neuroscience and will graduate in December 2023. Her research interests at the moment include cognitive neuroscience and aerospace physiology.
Aliyah Ross
She/Her
Undergraduate Student, Joined 2023
Aliyah is an undergraduate student majoring in psychology and minoring in Chinese. She plans on earning a graduate degree, but she is unsure what field she wants to continue in. Her goal in joining the Gilman Lab is to find a field of psychology that she loves and wants to proceed with her education in.
Shandna E. Burroughs, M.S.
She/They
Graduate Student, Joined 2023
Shandna graduated from Pennsylvania State University receiving a B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Genetics and Developmental Biology. They also graduated from Bloomsburg University receiving a M.S. in Biology with a focus in Neuroendocrinology. Their research interests include exploring how neuroinflammation is influenced by stress and dietary behaviors that might be associated with the manifestation of psychiatric disorders.
T. Lee Gilman, Ph.D.
They/Them
Principal Investigator
There are two equal goals of the Gilman lab. One goal is to fill in substantial knowledge gaps regarding how exposure to different diets and stressors influence hormones that interact with neurophysiological processes regulating emotions and behaviors. The other goal is to culture a supportive, diverse, challenging, and multifaceted research experience for trainees, providing them with a broad range of skills that will serve them in whatever career paths they pursue.
Lab Member Activities & Accomplishments
Location
600 Hilltop Dr.
Dept. of Psychological Sciences
Kent State University
Kent, OH 44242
We are located in Kent Hall, in the Department of Psychological Sciences, at Kent State University.
Contact
