Ignacio Rivero Covelo

Ignacio Rivero Covelo is an Assistant Professor in the Psychology, Professional Counseling, and Neuroscience Department at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago (2014). His research focuses on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying motivated behaviors, particularly overeating and addiction, examining cortico-thalamic-striatal-hypothalamic circuits using preclinical animal models. He is actively involved in academic service, serving on committees such as the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Institutional Review Board (IRB), and General Education Committee.

Dr. Covelo teaches courses in behavioral neuroscience, psychopharmacology, and abnormal psychology. His work involves undergraduate students in laboratory research exploring pharmacological and chemogenetic interventions to regulate feeding behaviors. Key research contributions include studies on ventral pallidum-nucleus accumbens pathways and thalamic roles in reward processing, with publications in journals like Psychopharmacology and eLife.

His consulting expertise spans grant proposal development, experimental design, and data interpretation in behavioral neuroscience. Professional interests include integrating teaching and research to advance understanding of mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia.