Kristen McLaurin, PhD

Assistant Professor

Dr. Kristen A. McLaurin is a behavioral neuroscientist with expertise in HIV-1 and substance use disorders, as well as extensive training in in vivo preclinical studies, preclinical neurocognitive assessments, measures of synaptic function, and advanced analytic techniques.

Dr. McLaurin completed her graduate work under the tutelage of Dr. Charles Mactutus at the University of South Carolina. Her PhD, awarded in 2020, focused on establishing the progression of neurocognitive impairments associated with HIV-1 throughout the functional lifespan; work which led to the critical evaluation of S-Equol as a novel therapeutic for HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders. As a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Rosemarie Booze's laboratory at the University of South Carolina, Dr. McLaurin expanded her expertise to include substance use disorders. As a postdoctoral fellow, Dr. McLaurin was awarded a NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award.

Dr. McLaurin's program of research focuses on the utilization of longitudinal experimental designs to establish the neural mechanisms underlying neurocognitive impairments resulting from opioid use disorder and/or comorbid HIV-1. Establishing the neural mechanisms underlying these disorders affords an opportunity to develop and assess novel therapeutic treatments.

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