Joshua M Gulley

Joshua M Gulley is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, serving as Associate Head and Director of Undergraduate Studies. His research focuses on behavioral neuroscience, particularly the neurobiological consequences of psychoactive drug exposure during adolescence, with expertise in substance use disorders, cognitive neuroscience, and neural plasticity.

• Education: Ph.D. from Indiana University, B.S. from University of Iowa
• Affiliations: Neuroscience Program, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Associate Editor at Behavioural Brain Research

His lab employs multidisciplinary approaches including electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry, and behavioral assays to investigate age-related differences in drug sensitivity, cognitive development, and brain circuitry. Current work examines interactions between alcohol, THC, and amphetamines in rodent models, focusing on synaptic signaling, neurochemical pathways, and sex-specific vulnerabilities.

Recent publications (2024-2025) analyze developmental impacts of methamphetamine on prefrontal cortex plasticity, alcohol-THC interactions in Akt-Gsk3β signaling, and sex differences in drug-induced neural circuit disruption. Key subfields include adolescent substance exposure, neurotransmitter metabolism, and behavioral sensitization.

Grants include NIH-funded research on neural mechanisms of sex differences in methamphetamine vulnerability. The lab combines in vivo electrophysiology with cognitive assessments like operant food-reinforced tasks and maze-based studies to explore impulsivity, behavioral flexibility, and working memory disruptions.