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Principal Investigator
Caitlin A. Orsini, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Neurology, University of Texas at Austin
Dr. Orsini received her Bachelor’s of Science from Washington College, majoring in Psychology with a concentration in Behavioral Neuroscience. She subsequently attended graduate school at the University of Michigan and was trained under the supervision of Dr. Stephen Maren. After receiving a PhD in Psychology (with a focus on Biopsychology), Dr. Orsini began a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Florida with Drs. Barry Setlow and Jennifer Bizon. She completed her postdoctoral training in 2019 and joined the Department of Psychology and the Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research as an Assistant Professor in September 2019. She was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in September 2025.
Dr. Orsini’s research seeks to understand the neurobiological and hormonal mechanisms underlying cost/benefit decision making and how the compromise of such processes may contribute to maladaptive choice behavior associated with substance use disorder. The overarching goal of this research is to develop and advance therapeutic strategies to improve pathological decision making and executive functioning and, ultimately, prevent continued substance use and promote abstinence.
Aside from her love of the brain, Dr. Orsini enjoys running, reading and painting.
Trainees
Alexa-Rae Wheeler, BS, University of Florida; PhD, UT Austin (2026)
Alexa recently defended her dissertation in January 2026 and will be graduating with her PhD from the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program at UT Austin. Her research focuses on the neurobiology of decision making underlying addiction. Specifically, she is interested in how individual differences in cognition relate to vulnerability for developing opioid use disorder. Outside of neuroscience, Alexa also weight lifts and enjoys outdoor activities in Austin.
Payton Kahanek, BS, Texas A&M University
Payton is a PhD student in the Pharmacology and Toxicology program at UT Austin. Her research delves into the intricate relationship between traumatic stress and decision-making, particularly in the context of substance usedisorders. She also explores the underlying neurocircuitry driving these phenomena. Beyond her academic pursuits, Payton enjoys paddle boarding, sewing, and spoiling her cat, Craig.
Hannah Bow, BS, MS, Cal Poly State
Hannah is a PhD student in the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program at UT Austin. Her work investigates the effects of hormones and the postnatal environment on the neural substrates underlying risk-based decision making. In particular, she is interested in the ways that early life stress alters functions of dopaminergic circuitry. In her free time she enjoys running, crafting, and maintaining her growing collection of houseplants.
Staff
Megan Kelly, BS, Lab Manager and Technician
Allison Lau, BS, Technician
Allison received her Bachelor’s degree in neuroscience at UT Austin. She is currently working as a research technician in the Orsini lab, supervising much of our optogenetic studies. Broadly, Allison is interested in researching behavioral neuroscience as well as the neurobiology behind neurological and mental disorders. When not in the lab, she enjoys crocheting, baking, and playing board games with friends.
Alessandro Bernini, BS, Technician
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Anagha Natarajan
Jaeden Gomez
Jana Saad
Namrata Boggaram
Monil Parekh
Nitya Kondaveeti
Ariba Badarpura
Ethan Eanes
Jewel Marie Parrel
Mira Rejendra Bhakta
Samyak Girish
Vincent Nguyen
Reeda Karowadia
Trisha Govind
Shrinika Govin
Berkeley Keller
Aslesha Barik
Swasti Sogani
Luke Fehlis
Sophie Vuong
Former Lab Members
- Leah Truckenbrod, PhD, Account Executive, Harvard Biosciences
- Nicki Kheradbin, undergraduate; Currently in pharmacy school at UT Austin
- Hannah Cutright, undergraduate; Currently in medical school at UT Health San Antonio
- Sydney Tu, undergraduate
- Zain Zeitouni, undergraduate
- Pooneh Rahimi, undergraduate
- Katie Kitto, undergraduate; Currently in graduate school and Medical University of South Carolina
- April Sunyoung Ju, undergraduate; Currently in medical school at Baylor College of Medicine
- Nadia Carlos, undergraduate
- Isabel Csitkovits, undergraduate
- Sree Darma, undergraduate
- Emily Zoorob, undergraduate; Currently in medical school at Texas Tech
- Isabel Tseng, undergraduate
- Marion Mochache, undergraduate
- Kathy Tran, undergraduate
- Giselle Pedraza, undergraduate
- Merrick Garner, technician; Currently in medical school at McGovern School of Medicine
- Erin Brill, undergraduate; Currently pursuing PhD in Neuroscience at Texas A&M
- Allison Greer, undergraduate
- Emily Cooper, technician
- Adrian Boehnke, undergraduate; Currently in medical school at Baylor College of Medicine
- Megan Thomas, undergraduate; Currently in medical school at Long School of Medicine
- Kyra Gruenberger, undergraduate
- Xixi Jia, undergraduate
- Stephanie Root, undergraduate