معرفی
John Hernandez is an Assistant Professor of Neuroscience (Research) at Brown University, investigating neural and molecular mechanisms of alcohol preference/avoidance in Drosophila melanogaster using operant behavior, thermogenetics, optogenetics, and 2-photon calcium imaging. He actively mentors underrepresented trainees in academia and collaborates extensively within Brown's neuroscience community.
His educational background includes:
- PhD (2019) from University of Massachusetts Amherst
- MSc (2012) from Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
- BSc (2010) from Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Research focuses on addiction mechanisms, alcohol-related neural circuits, and transcriptional changes in model organisms. Current work examines stress-induced alterations in alcohol preference pathways using advanced Drosophila paradigms, bridging molecular neuroscience with behavioral analysis.
Publication trends (2012-2024) reveal consistent emphasis on invertebrate models (Drosophila/Aplysia) to dissect reward circuits, with progressive methodological sophistication from electrophysiology to RNA-sequencing. Key themes include neural encoding of alcohol preference, stress-alcohol interactions, and mitochondrial dynamics in addiction pathways.
Scientific recognition includes:
- ARC Scholar award (Carney Institute, 2022-2024)
- NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021-2024)
- Multiple Gordon Conference best poster awards (2022, 2024)
- RSA Junior Investigator Award (2022)
Secured significant funding through the ARC Scholar program (2022-2024) and NRSA fellowship ("Open bar assay" project, 2021-2024), supporting his Drosophila addiction research. Collaborates primarily with Dr. Karla Kaun's lab while maintaining independent research direction.
Integral member of Brown's neuroscience ecosystem through the Kaun Lab, contributing to a collaborative environment focused on genetic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms of addiction using multidisciplinary approaches.
