Laura Rosen

Dr. Laura Rosen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Western University. Her research focuses on substance use motives, addiction, and the neurobiological mechanisms underlying reward and memory. She employs methods such as surveys, cue reactivity paradigms, and qualitative interviews to study cannabis use in post-legalization Canada and education around substance use.

Education:

• PhD (Neuroscience), Western University, 2017
• MSc (Neuroscience), Queen’s University, 2012
• BScH (Psychology), Queen’s University, 2010

Research Interests: Dr. Rosen investigates how substance use motives predict addiction risk, particularly in the context of cannabis legalization. She explores reward learning pathways, memory formation in addiction, and the neurobiological effects of cannabinoids and opioids. Her work bridges laboratory-based neurophysiology with community-based research.

Articles Trends: Her publications span neuroscientific mechanisms (e.g., dopamine signaling in addiction) to sociopolitical analyses (e.g., low-income community impacts). Recent work emphasizes developmental effects of substance exposure and molecular adaptations in brain regions like the prefrontal cortex and amygdala.

Teaching: Teaches courses on addictive behaviors, sensation & perception, and behavioral pharmacology.