Many, many students have and will contribute towards the research program in our laboratories.  The success of our research program depends on our students' diligent work and to all of our student researchers, we express our sincere thanks on jobs well done!

To join our team contact Professor Pittman or Professor Baird.

current researchers

former students who have worked on benzo/taste projects in the Pittman/Baird labs

From left to right: Nicole Schmidt ('18), Olivia Crotts ('17), Rachel Fenner ('18), Alex Thele ('18), Gabby Boniface ('18), Shelby Stewart ('18), Kassie Franck ('18), Vanessa Zarubin ('18), & Mary Elizabeth Bruner ('19) conducted research during the Interim January 2016 term in the Pittman laboratory investigating the role of central amygdala and lateral hypothalamic projections to the PBN on licking responses to tastants during long-term test sessions.

From left to right: Bekah Bowie ('16), Isaiah Addison ('16), Taylor Hall ('16), & Bailey King ('16) worked in the Pittman laboratory during the Fall 2015 semester investigating the role of central amygdala and lateral hypothalamic projections to the PBN on licking responses to tastants during long-term test sessions.

Summer 2015 research team from left to right: Logan Shelnutt ('15), Elizabeth Berwaldt ('15), Alex Brantly (Lab Technician), Kassie Franck ('17), Taylor Hall ('15)

Spring 2014 research team from left to right: Kelsey Smith ('14),  Savanah Atkins ('16), Tyler Nelson ('16), Sarah Evans ('14), Leigh Smith ('14), Elis Sidden ('14), and Alex Brantly ('14).


Students working in the Baird Laboratory at Amherst College during the summer of 2013.

Left:  Tyler Nelson (Wofford 2016) spent the summer of 2013 working in the Baird Laboratory at Amherst College as part of a student exchange funded by the NIH grant. 

Tyler learned new techniques (3V cannulations) and worked on identifying better GABA agonists and antagonist chemicals to test with intraPBN injections instead of CDP, our prototypical benzodiazepine drug.
 

From left to right: Lindy Pence ('14), Tyler Nelson ('16), Kelsey Smith ('14), and Savanah Atkins ('16) worked in the Pittman laboratory during the Spring 2013 semester investigating the effect of benzodiazepines applied directly into the PBN on licking responses to sweet tastants during 60 minute test sessions.

Left to right: Paige Frasso ('15), Julia Tyson ('12), Laurel Ann Sams ('12), Brittany Eberhart ('12), and Lucy Schermerhorn ('12) invetsigated the effect of benzodiazepines on licking responses to sweet tastants during brief-access and 60 minute test sessions in the 2012 fall semester.

Alice Tran (Amherst 2010) presents her research from the Baird laboratory at the 2008 International Symposium on Olfaction and Taste / Association of Chemoreception Sciences meeting. 

Click here to review Alice's poster on the role of opioids on benzodiazepine modulation of taste responses in the PBN.


From left to right: N. Hunter Rackett ('12), Michael Schecter ('11), Phillip Neill ('11), and Isaac Rankin ('11) worked in the lab during the fall of 2010 investigating the effect of benzodiazepines on licking responses to a wide variety of tastants during brief access trials.

From left to right: Molly McGinnis ('09), Brittney Getz ('10), Amanda Ruscin ('09), Mazi Alimohamed ('09), Liz Miller ('09) and Lindsey Richardson ('09) worked in the lab during the fall of 2008 investigating the effect of benzodiazepines on licking responses to a wide variety of tastants during 60 minute test sessions.


Lindsey Richardson ('09) and Molly McGinnis ('09) worked in Dr. Pittman's lab as research fellows in the summer 2008 Community of Scholars program examining the effects of water-replete and water-deplete motivational states on the effects of benzodiazepines to influence licking responses to tastants. 

STUDENTS THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS PROJECT:

• Brittney Getz - Wofford 2010, a candidate for PhD in psychology at University of Louisville
• Mazi Alimohemed - Wofford 2009, attending medical school
• Amanda Ruscin - Wofford 2009, attending medical school
• Lindsey Richardson - Wofford 2009, attending dental school
• Hannah Dinnen - Wofford 2009, currently working with TEACH FOR AMERICA
• Christine Breuer - Amherst 2009
• Steven Richards - Wofford 2008, received a dental degree from the University of South Carolina
• Kimberly Smith - Wofford 2008, a candidate for PhD in neuroscience at Florida State University
• Meaghan Crawley - Wofford 2007, a candidate for PhD in neuroscience at Tulane University
• Cameron Corbin - Wofford 2007, received MS in physical therapy from the Medical University of South Carolina
• Yoo Na Chung - Amherst 2005, working for the U.S. Department of Defense
• Jasmine Loveland - Amherst/Hampshire 2003, PhD in biology at Stanford University

TRACK RECORD: STUDENT RESEARCHERS IN THE BAIRD LAB

Dr. Baird has mentored 50 students who have conducted research his laboratory. Of those students, 56% were women, 42% were minorities, and 20% were under-prepared in science education.
Dr. Baird's students have been very productive with 46% of the students presenting research as coauthors at the national scientific conferences (2003-2009).  Student research from Dr. Baird's laboratory has generated 7 publications with 12 student coauthors.
Furthermore, 82% of Dr. Baird's students have continued on to graduate school with 4 students in medical school and 5 students in neuroscience Ph.D. graduate programs.

TRACK RECORD: STUDENT RESEARCHERS IN THE PITTMAN LAB

Dr. Pittman has mentored 76 students conducted research in his laboratory. Of those students, 78% were women, 17% were minorities, and 24% were under-prepared in science education.
Dr. Pittman's students have been very productive with 50% of the students presenting research as coauthors at the national Association for Chemoreception Sciences conferences (2003-2009) and an additional 15% presenting their research at regional scientific symposia.  Student research from Dr. Pittman's laboratory has generated 8 publications with 20 student coauthors.
Furthermore, 70% of Dr. Pittman's students have continued on to graduate school in fields such as neuroscience (3), medicine (8), health-related occupations (8) such as occupational/physical therapy, nursing, health care administration, and clinical/counseling psychology (11).