Northeastern University, Behavioral Neuroscience

Melissa Herman, Ph.D. Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies

I received a BA in Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience in 2015 from Colby College. After graduating, I spent two years in the Lake Tahoe region as a snowboard instructor and outdoor guide before becoming a research technician at the University of British Columbia. For my graduate work, I joined Dr. Rebecca Shanky’s lab at Northeastern University, where I studied the neural circuits driving sex-biased conditioned fear responses and the role of pain in those responses. I defended my PhD in 2024, after which I joined Dr. Melissa Herman’s lab at UNC Chapel Hill in the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies. My postdoctoral work investigates how early-stage, simultaneous alcohol and nicotine exposure affect medial prefrontal cortex activity and resulting anxiety-like and risky behaviors. Throughout my academic journey, I have found joy in mentoring students and watching them grow as scientists. Ultimately, I hope to work at a primarily undergraduate institution where my lab will investigate how adolescent substance use and later in life stress exposure contribute to the development of maladaptive coping mechanisms and psychopathology. I am excited to be a part of the SPIRE program to strengthen my teaching skills and work closely with students, introducing them to the field of neuroscience.