Abby Meyer, Ph.D.
Overview
Dr. Meyer came to 91ÁÔÆæ in August of 2015 immediately following the completion of her graduate work at the University of Memphis. She formed a precocious love of psychology and human behavior from a very young age, but later discovered her love of neuroscience and neural circuits of memory systems after surviving a harrowing car accident in 2004. Her lack of memories for this event and her subsequent neurorecovery led her to study the pathways and processes that govern memory systems. In graduate school, Dr. Meyer pursued the field of behavioral toxicology in an attempt to further discover the factors that hinder neurodevelopment, memory processes, and executive functioning. Her student-driven research lab at 91ÁÔÆæ is actively working to continue to uncover the important links between what the brain is, what factors disrupt neurodevelopment, and what the brain is capable of.
Courses Taught
- Introduction to Psychology
- Biopsychology
- Biopsychology Lab
- Advanced Neuroscience
- Research Methods
- Drugs, Brain, and Behavior
- Sensation and Perception
- Animal Behavior and Cognition
Education
- Ph.D., Experimental Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Memphis, 2015
- M.S., Experimental Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Memphis, 2013
- B.S., Psychology, minors in Neuroscience and Spanish, College of Charleston, 2009
Research/Special Interests
I am interested in studying Neurological and Behavioral aspects of learning and memory in regard to acquisition, maintenance, and degradation. I feel that the best approach to studying this concept at a comprehensive level is to incorporate different fields of study to develop an approach that includes Developmental, Behavioral, and Cognitive Neuroscience. My research incorporates all of these aspects, as well as the impact of toxins and teratogens on neurodevelopment.
Publications
Miller, M. M., Meyer, A. E., Sprowles , J. N., & Sable, H. K. (2017). Cocaine self-administration in male and female rats perinatally exposed to PCBs: Evaluating drug use in an animal model of environmental contaminant exposure. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 25(2), 114-124. doi:10.1037/pha0000113
Meyer, A. E., Miller, M. M., Sprowles, J. N., Levine, L. R., & Sable, H. K. (2015). A comparison of presynaptic and postsynaptic dopaminergic agonists on inhibitory control performance in rats perinatally exposed to PCBs. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 50, 5011-22. doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2015.05.009
Fielding, J. R., Rogers, T. D., Meyer, A. E., M. Miller, M. M, Nelms, J. L., Mittleman, G., Blaha, C. D., & Sable, H. J. (2013). Stimulation-Evoked Dopamine Release in the Nucleus Accumbens Following Cocaine Administration in Rats Perinatally Exposed to Polychlorinated Biphenyls Toxicological Science, 136(1), doi:10.1093/toxsci/kft171
Personal Information
Professional Affiliations:
- Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN)
- Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA)
- Society for Neuroscience (SFN)
- Developmental Neurotoxicology Society (DNTS)
- Psi Chi (The National Honor Society in Psychology)
91ÁÔÆæ Organizations:
- Psi Chi
- Psychology Club
- Phi Sigma Pi