Understanding Population Vulnerability to Addiction

Presenter: Sai Badugu, Physiology and Neurobiology, Global Public Health Scholars

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In the summer of 2023, I worked in the Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory as part of the Addiction Science UMD FIRE program. The study, titled Examining Cognitive and Affective Processes in Response to Racial Bias, investigated why certain minority groups are more susceptible to developing an addiction compared to others. In the lab, my responsibilities included assisting with the participant set-up of the EEG cap and EMG electrodes and monitoring data collection during the trial. We specifically studied how impulsivity levels changed before and after viewing graphic, racial imagery. Through this experience, I gained valuable laboratory skills, including the use of the different electrode recordings, a basic understanding of coding in Matlab, and an introduction to the methods used in human-participant research. Relating to my major of physiology and neurobiology, as well as being on the pre-physical therapy track, I am interested in using these neurophysiological laboratory techniques to explore other topics related to anatomy and behavior.