Ryan T Lacy

Ryan T Lacy is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of South Carolina and serves as Program Chair for Biological Foundations of Behavior. He received his B.A. from Kenyon College (2007), followed by an M.A. (2009) and Ph.D. (2012) in Behavioral Neuroscience from the University of South Carolina. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Davidson College (2013-2015), he established the Lacy Lab, focusing on preclinical models of drug abuse liability.

Dr. Lacy's research investigates how prenatal drug exposure, social environments, and neurobiological factors influence motivated behavior and addiction vulnerability. His work employs animal models to study sex differences, dopamine system adaptations, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mechanisms, and the impact of exercise and social interactions on drug self-administration. Key trends in his publications include cross-drug sensitization, behavioral economic demand analysis, and translational approaches bridging human and animal studies.

• Education
  • B.A., Kenyon College (2007)
  • M.A./Ph.D., University of South Carolina (2009/2012)
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship, Davidson College (2013-2015)
• Professional Affiliations
  • American Psychological Association (Div. 28)
  • Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN)
  • International Study Group Investigating Drugs as Reinforcers (ISGIDAR)
  • College on Problems of Drug Dependency (CPDD)
• Courses Taught
  • PSY 100: Laboratory
  • PSY 302: Biopsychology
  • PSY 310: Conditioning and Learning
  • CNX 186: What Aren't We Addicted To?