Elizabeth Glover, PhD
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR | ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Dr. Glover completed her BS in zoology at Arizona State University in 2001 and subsequently worked as a research assistant studying nonhuman primate behavior at the Southwest National Primate Research Center in San Antonio, TX. She earned her PhD in Neuroscience in 2012 from Wake Forest University School of Medicine where she investigated the effects of chronic alcohol self-administration on the serotonin system in nonhuman primates under the mentorship of Dr. David Friedman. Following her graduate training, Dr. Glover completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Judson Chandler where she developed interests in alcohol-induced cortical plasticity and the role that aversion plays in the path to dependence. Dr. Glover joined UIC’s Department of Psychiatry and the Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics as an Assistant Professor in 2018. Her research focuses on understanding the neurocircuitry underlying reward and aversion and how it is altered in neuropsychiatric illnesses.
Karl Bosque-Cordero, PhD
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOW
Karl obtained his bachelor's in biology at the University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla. For his Ph.D. in Biology, he attended the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Campus and completed his dissertation in the laboratory of Dr. Carlos A. Jimenez-Rivera. His thesis explored the contribution of the hyperpolarizing cationic current in cocaine-induced excitability on dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area using both in vivo single-unit recordings and ex vivo patch-clamp electrophysiology. He joined the Glover Lab in September 2022 and is interested in exploring the basic mechanisms of reward and aversion in alcohol use disorder.
Lindsey Ramirez, PhD
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOW
Dr. Ramirez earned her BA in Psychology at the University of Illinois-Chicago while also working in UIC’s Substance Use Research Lab investigating binge drinking and the effects of caffeinated alcohol on impulsivity. She went on to earn an MS in Experimental Psychology testing the effectiveness of a model of pain-depressed behavior in rodents. Her doctoral work pivoted from psychology to physiology focusing on the role of inflammatory immune cells to promote increases in fat tissue and blood pressure in female and male rodents. Moving forward, she is interested in understanding the neural pathways that mediate maladaptive behavior in substance use disorders and how individual differences determine risk for substance use disorders. Ultimately, Dr. Ramirez plans to pursue a career as an independently funded PI and/or in science communication.
Eric Mitten, PhD
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOW
Eric obtained their bachelor’s degrees in neuroscience & psychology at the University of Colorado: Boulder after which they earned a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Minnesota: Twin Cities. Their doctoral thesis in Dr Kevin Wickman’s lab identified overlapping mechanisms of plasticity in VTA GABA neurons that are thought to be important in the expression of anxiety-related behavior following exposure to chronic ethanol and/or acute stress. Eric’s ongoing work aims to understand dependence-induced plasticity in distinct neural circuits that underlies aversion-resistant ethanol consumption - a hallmark of addiction.
Hyerim Yang
GRADUATE STUDENT
Hye graduated from UIC in 2017 with a BS in neuroscience. She joined the Glover Lab first as a technician to gain experience using animal models to study addiction to balance her extensive research experience in a human neuropharmacology laboratory. Hye is now a doctoral candidate in the GEMS graduate program at UIC working to understand the neural circuits underlying symptoms of withdrawal from chronic alcohol exposure.
Jackie Sanchez
GRADUATE STUDENT
Jackie completed her BS in Psychology with a concentration in Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2019. After graduating, she completed a post-baccalaureate program at the University of Arizona through the NIH (PREP). During this period, Jackie spent most of her time doing neuroimmunology research under the supervision of Dr. Anita Koshy. She is currently a graduate student in UIC’s Graduate Program in Neuroscience (GPN). Her research is currently focused on exploring cognitive deficits that result from chronic alcohol exposure.
Joseph Pitock
RESEARCH TECHNICIAN | LAB MANAGER
Joseph graduated from Bradley University with a BS in psychology with minors in Mathematics and Neuroscience in 2020. During his time at Bradley, Joseph worked in Dr. Amy Bacon’s Stress, Emotion, and Alcohol research lab and Dr. Timothy Koeltzow’s Drug Abuse research lab. He is working in the Glover Lab to gain experience for a potential future career in preclinical research.
Shikun Hou
RESEARCH TECHNICIAN
Shikun joined the lab as an undergraduate researcher and has since transitioned to a full-time technician position after graduating from UIC with a BS in neuroscience in 2021. He is gaining research experience in the Glover Lab while he considers multiple advanced degree options in the future.
Nathaly Arce Soto
RESEARCH TECHNICIAN
Nathaly started in the lab as an undergraduate L@s GANAS Fellow and joined as a full-time research technician after graduating in May 2023. She is currently undecided in her post-graduation plans but is strongly considering pursuing an PhD in neuroscience.
Nikki Kinarasri
RESEARCH TECHNICIAN
Nikki joined the Glover Lab first as an undergraduate but after graduating from UIC with a BS in neuroscience in May 2024, she transitioned to a full-time position in the lab. She is considering attending graduate school in the future.
Brianna Irizarry
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER
Bri is an undergraduate at UIC majoring in neuroscience with a minor in Spanish for the Professions. She joined the Glover lab to gain research experience and to learn more about how substances affect behavior and brain development. As a member of UI College of Medicine’s GPPA Scholars Program, she plans on pursuing an MD in the future.
Abby Hernandez
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER
Abby is an undergraduate at UIC pursuing a dual degree in neuroscience and philosophy. She joined the lab as a L@S GANAS Fellow in November 2023 in order to gain research experience and learn more about careers in research. Abby plans on attending graduate school after earning her Bachelor’s degree.
Yazhini Ramesh
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER
Yazhini is an undergraduate at UIC majoring in biomedical engineering. She joined the Glover lab to obtain research experience and intends to apply for graduate school after completing her undergraduate studies.
Nistha Agarwal
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER
Nistha is a pre-med undergraduate at UIC majoring in psychology with a minor in biology. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she plans to contribute to the mental health field as a therapist or psychiatrist. She joined the Glover lab in order to gain hands-on research experience and increase her understanding of addiction, anxiety, and mood disorders.
Lab alumni
staff
Beto Araiza (Postbacc)
Jing-Tan Bian, PhD
Kacey Clayton-Stiglbauer
Andres Gascon
Arleen Perez
Margaret Starr
Shannon Wheeler
Undergrads
Christen Amegashie
Arshdeep Bal
Alex Brown
Nidhi Chetan
Dennis Le
Sangtuan Miller
Umair Naseem
Autumn Ollice
Shree Srinivasan
Kassieann Tragnitz
Helena Walo
Grad students
Ryan Patwell, PhD
Postdocs
Joel Shillinglaw, PhD
Katie Przybysz, PhD
