People

Elisabeth A. (Betsy) Murray, Ph.D. | Senior Investigator, Chief, Section on the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
Dr. Murray received her B.S. in Biology from Bucknell University and her Ph.D. in Physiology from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The research of her Section explores the neural substrates of learning, memory, decision making and emotion. To that end, the research employs a variety of methods, including behavioral analysis before and after selective brain lesions or temporary inactivations, structural and functional neuroimaging, neuroanatomical tract-tracing, and neurophysiological recordings.

Mary Baldwin, Ph.D. | Staff Scientist
Dr. Baldwin graduated from Vanderbilt University with a B.S. in Neuroscience and a Ph.D. in Psychology. She then carried out her postdoctoral training at UC Davis. Dr. Baldwin is interested in the organization, function, and evolution of the brain of primates and their close relatives. The goal of her research is to understand how knowledge gained from different mammalian models in biomedical research translates across taxa and informs the human condition. Currently, Dr. Baldwin is conducting a number of projects looking at the connections, structure, and development of the amygdala complex across Euarchontoglires, a clade that includes primates and rodents.

Caitlyn Bartsch, B.S. | Post Baccalaureate Fellow
Ms. Bartsch earned her B.S. in Physiology from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, where she researched the impact of early life stress on aggression in adolescent mice. She currently collects and analyzes behavioral data for multiple projects, including studying the role of the anterior cingulate cortex in reward expectancy and investigating how unseen faces affect visual processing in the context of blindsight.

Lale Evsen, Ph.D. | Biological Scientist
Dr. Evsen received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science at the University of Maryland, College Park and conducted all her graduate research at NIDCD/NIH. Her specialties are in Cell/Molecular and Developmental Neuroscience, and Gene Regulation. Dr. Evsen completed her post-doctoral training at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the Department of Neuroscience. Prior to joining NIMH/NIH, Dr. Evsen worked at several different institutes at NIH, including at NCATS, where she was a Biochemist working in Small Molecule Drug Development, specifically in targeting and manipulating the functions of the Hippo signaling pathway in Oncology and Regenerative Medicine. Currently, Dr. Evsen works on projects involving Neuroanatomy, and Cell/Molecular and Developmental Neurobiology.

Jaewon Hwang, Ph.D. | Staff Scientist
Dr. Hwang graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in psychology and received his Ph.D. in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from the University of Rochester. He is interested in the neural mechanisms of higher cognitive processes and has investigated multisensory integration, temporal reward discounting and self-control in the frontal lobe with neurophysiological methods. He is currently studying orbitofrontal cortex contributions to autonomic responses during Pavlovian learning and writing software for behavioral control.

Paweł Kuśmierek, Ph.D. | Staff Scientist
Dr. Kuśmierek received his M.S. in Biology from Warsaw University, and his Ph.D. from the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, both in Warsaw, Poland. That work on the neural basic of auditory memory and perception was followed up by electrophysiological studies on organization of auditory cortical perception and auditory-motor integration at the Georgetown University. Currently Dr. Kuśmierek is investigating the role of the anterior cingulate cortex in social cognition and reward expectancy, as well as the organization of extrastriatal visual pathways.

Dawn Lundgren, B.S. | Biologist
Ms. Lundgren received her B.S. degree in Zoology from George Washington University. She collects and analyzes data from a variety of behavioral assessments. In addition, she instructs new staff in the methods and procedures used by the section in behavioral studies. Current projects involve the contributions of orbitofrontal cortex and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex to learning and decision making.

Pam Noble, M.S., M.B.A. | Biologist
Ms. Noble received her B.A. degree in Anthropology and Psychology from the University of Arizona. She went on to earn an M.S. in Psychology and an M.B.A. While working at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, and later at NIMH, she used behavioral and endocrine assessments to study the neurobiological basis of social dysfunction. Currently, she is using eye-tracking technology to investigate the role of the orbitofrontal cortex in learning and memory.

Spencer Waters, B.S. | Pre-doctoral Fellow
Mr. Waters received his B.S. in Neuroscience from Brigham Young University, and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Georgetown University. His thesis work focuses on the neural substrates of social cognition and emotional regulation. Specifically, Mr. Waters studies how connectivity between the amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex impacts autonomic arousal (e.g., heart rate) during live social interactions. Other research interests include: recognition memory, reinforcement learning, and the use of animal models in translational science.