Laura Giacometti

Laura Giacometti, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Physiology at Drexel University College of Medicine. Her work focuses on sex differences in neurobiology, particularly how hormonal regulation and brain insults like drug exposure or HIV affect reward-seeking behaviors and astrocyte function. She holds affiliations with organizations including the Research Society on Alcoholism and Society for Neuroscience.

Education:

• PhD in Neuroscience, Drexel University (2018)
• BS in Neuroscience, University of Scranton (2011)

Research Interests: Sex differences in brain function, estrous cycle influences, astrocyte biology, behavioral neuroscience, addiction mechanisms, and HIV-related neurocognitive effects. Her lab uses pharmacology, chemogenetics, and fiber photometry to study how hormones and brain insults disrupt reward pathways.

Key Publications: Recent work includes studies on HIV/cocaine interactions, adolescent ethanol effects on reward behavior, and estrous cycle modulation of stress responses. These studies emphasize translational neuroscience with implications for gender-specific treatment strategies.

Awards:

• Junior Investigator Award (Research Society on Alcoholism, 2021)
• Enoch Gordis Research Recognition Award (2020)
• Hartwell Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship (2019)

Labs/Teams: Barker Lab at Drexel University, focusing on neurobiological mechanisms of reward and addiction. Collaborations include multidisciplinary teams studying neuroimmune interactions and neuroendocrine pathways.