I am interested in understanding the mechanisms by which oxytocin and oxytocin-like compounds work in the brain to reduce the rewarding effects and abuse potential of licit and illicit drugs. This is to investigate whether oxytocin could be used as a pharmacological treatment. 

I am also interested in how early life trauma can disrupt the oxytocin system and the impact this has on mental health and susceptibility for drug addiction later in life. Importantly, I want to identify those who are more vulnerable, or more resilient, to later-life mental illness following early life trauma, and characterise these two populations so that targeted treatment can be developed for those most vulnerable. 

• ANTH106: Drugs Across Cultures
• PSY236: Biopsychology and Learning
• PSY354: Clinical and Experimental Neuroscience
• PSY461: Advanced Topics in Physiological Psychology
• MEDI704: Decoding the Brain

I supervise students in the following research areas:

• Understanding the neural mechanisms of drug addiction
• Examining the impact of early life stress on later-life vulnerability for mental illness (depression, anxiety, substance abuse)
• Understanding the role of oxytocin as a treatment for drug addiction