Ryan J Post

Ryan J Post is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Providence College. His research focuses on neurobiological mechanisms underlying anxiety, depression, and reward processing, with expertise in rodent behavioral models and optogenetic techniques. He holds a Ph.D. in Neurobiology from Cornell University (2020) and a B.S. in Biology & Psychology from Providence College (2014).

Education:

• Ph.D. in Neurobiology, Cornell University (2020), Thesis: 'Initiation and adaptive termination of goal-directed behavior in mice'
• B.S. in Biology & Psychology, Providence College (2014)

Research interests emphasize understanding neural circuits related to mood disorders, pain perception, and decision-making. Recent work explores lateral habenula function in reward-seeking behaviors and dopamine neuron activity in cognitive mapping. His experimental models include juvenile stress exposure effects on adult anxiety and conditioned punishment paradigms for phobia studies.

Publications span neuroscience topics from optogenetic methodology to depression symptomatology. He has contributed to peer-reviewed journals like Physiology & Behavior and Neuropsychiatric Disease Treatment.

Current research includes investigations into anhedonia and apathy subtypes in depression, leveraging neurophysiological recordings and behavioral assays. Collaborative projects involve clinical implications of basic neuroscience findings.