Melanie Gordon

Melanie is a PhD student interested in understanding how early life stress shapes goal-directed behaviors and value-based decision making in adulthood, with a particular focus on dopamine kinetics. Using both in vivo and slice physiology approaches, she investigates the neural mechanisms underlying these complex behaviors.

Melanie earned a double major in Psychology and Neuroscience from Rutgers University-Newark. As an undergraduate, she worked as a research assistant in Mauricio Delgado's lab, where her thesis focused on the coping strategies of cigarette smokers. She then served as lab manager in Elizabeth Tricomi's lab before beginning her doctoral work.

Outside the lab, Melanie enjoys reading, hiking, and rock music, as well as having one-sided but deeply meaningful conversations with her dog, who is an excellent listener and never interrupts.