Kate M Wassum

Kate M Wassum is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), College of Letters and Science. Her research focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying reward learning, decision-making, and habit formation, with particular emphasis on amygdala-cortical circuits and dopamine signaling.

• NIH R01MH126285 (Co-PI): Nucleus accumbens circuits for regulating cue-motivated behavior
• NIH R01DA046679 (PI): Epigenetic Regulation Of Striatal Circuit Function For Action And Habit Learning
• NIH R01DA035443 (PI): Amygdala-cortical circuitry in reward encoding, expectation, and decision making

Her recent publications examine stress effects on agency, dopamine's role in reward memory encoding, and real-time neurochemical monitoring. She has contributed to understanding addiction neuroscience, particularly in alcohol use disorder and substance-related disorders.

Her work integrates electrochemical techniques for neurotransmitter detection and optogenetic methods for circuit manipulation. Collaborators include researchers like Nigel Maidment, Sean Ostlund, and Alicia Izquierdo.