I was trained as an addiction neuroscientist, and I received my Ph.D. from Purdue
University in 2005. After a post-doctoral fellowship in the lab of Dr. George Koob
at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, I started my lab in the Physiology
Department at LSUHSC in 2011. My lab uses rodent models to interrogate the neurobiology
of substance use disorders, stress disorders, pain conditions and traumatic brain
injury. My lab is currently funded by NIH and the VA. I am the Director of the LSUHSC
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence. I serve regularly on NIH and VA study
sections as a standing and ad hoc member. My lab has many years of experience in behavioral
testing, systemic and site-specific pharmacology, circuit-based approaches, slice
electrophysiology, vaporized drug delivery techniques, neurosurgical procedures, brain
tissue preparation, molecular biology techniques, and more recently cell sequencing
approaches. This work has resulted in 100+ publications over the past 20 years. I
have many years of experience and a strong track record managing multi-disciplinary
teams for completion of projects with diverse goals. I also have a successful track
record training and developing the careers of graduate students and post-doctoral
fellows. Outside the lab, I enjoy travel, books, film, exercise and great food.
Dr. Maria Elena Secci
I was trained as a neuropsychopharmacologist and earned my Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine
from the University of Siena in 2012. I completed my postdoctoral training at the
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) where I investigated the neurobiological mechanisms
underlying the effects of cannabinoids and nicotine using behavioral and neurochemical
assays in animal models. In the Gilpin lab, my work focuses on identifying molecular
and circuit-level mechanisms that contribute to stress- and pain-related behaviors,
with the goal of discovering novel mechanisms and therapeutic targets. Here I take
a multidisciplinary approach, integrating neural circuit manipulation, in situ hybridization,
and spatial transcriptomics with cutting-edge tools such as 3D printing and machine
learning.
Outside of my scientific pursuits, I love cooking, rowing, traveling, and exploring
new interests.
Dr. Thomas R. Kyllo
My background is in mechanisms of synaptic transmission and neurodegeneration, Neurodegenerative
disorders, and Tropical medicine/infectious diseases. After earning my Bachelor of
Science in Biology from High Point University in 2017, I attended Tulane University
from 2017-2019 where I received my Master’s in Public Health and Tropic Medicine while
primarily conducting research on enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. Additionally, during the course of completing my master's degree I also conducted
both laboratory and field research at Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán la Facultad
de Química, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales “Dr. Hideyo Noguchi” in Mérida Mexico
focused on Trypanosomacruzi/Chagas disease. Following the completion of my master’s degree I received my PhD in
Neuroscience at LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans in 2024. My dissertation
work was focused on the development of novel anti-glutamatergic, neuroprotective compounds
in the kainic acid rat model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. After completing my PhD in
2024 I joined the Wills and Gilpin labs as a T32-supported postdoctoral fellow. My
current research focuses on examining the effects of adolescent alcohol exposure on
pain-like phenotypes during adulthood. Specifically, I seek to understand how early
life chronic alcohol exposure modulates midbrain cells and circuits in adults with
alcohol induced hyperalgesia. My long-term research interests are to investigate the
underlying mechanisms associated with alcohol withdrawal-induced seizures, and to
understand the persistent long-term impacts of adolescent alcohol use on glial cell
functions and neural circuitry in the context of susceptibility to epileptogenesis.
Specifically, I aim to understand how alcohol use impacts microglia and astrocyte
function long-term and how those changes make one more susceptible to seizures following
various initiators of epileptogenesis (TBI, seizures, alcohol withdrawal, etc.). I
have experience in molecular biology techniques, rodent behavioral testing, rodent
models of temporal lobe epilepsy, global cerebral ischemia and TBI, circuit-based
approaches, alcohol vapor administration, neurosurgical procedures, brain tissue preparation,
and I am currently learning slice electrophysiology. Outside the lab, I enjoy my many
hobbies (beekeeping, woodworking, painting, etc.), sports, and spending time with
my husband and dogs.
Dr. Ilse Pamela Alonso
I am originally from Mexico City and came to the U.S. in 2015 to pursue my doctoral
training at Drexel University in Rodrigo España’s lab. I then completed a short postdoctoral
fellowship at the NIAAA with Dave Lovinger. In 2023, I joined the Gilpin Lab, motivated
by the fact that alcohol use disorder and chronic pain are highly prevalent comorbid
conditions. My research focuses on the effects of chronic alcohol exposure on the
descending modulatory pain pathway. Specifically, I study the intrinsic and synaptic
properties of glutamatergic ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) neurons projecting
to the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) during alcohol withdrawal. I am also interested
in exploring whether sleep and/or exercise can serve as behavioral therapies to reduce
hyperalgesia (increased pain sensitivity), relapse, and excessive drinking.
To address these questions, I use slice electrophysiology, in vivo fiber photometry,
and combined circuit and pharmacological approaches to test whether alcohol-induced
hyperalgesia is partly driven by alterations in the descending modulatory pathway.
Outside the lab, I enjoy traveling, cinema, and spending time with my family.
Leslie K. Kelley, MS
I received my Bachelor of Science as a dual major in Neuroscience and Psychology from
Temple University. As an undergraduate, I began working in the lab of Dr. Ellen Unterwald
examining cocaine induced neural adaptations and behavioral sensitization in a rodent
model. I received my Master’s in Psychology from the University of New Orleans (UNO)
while working in the lab of Dr. Gerald LaHoste. My master’s thesis examined the contribution
of the Rhes gene to striatal neurodegeneration in a mouse model of Huntington’s disease.
During graduate school, I also completed a rotation in the lab of Dr. Elliott Beaton,
examining the relationship between anxiety and serum Vitamin D levels in children
with 22Q11.2 deletion syndrome. After completing my master’s, I began working as a
Research Associate in the lab of Dr. Nicholas Gilpin. My work in Dr. Gilpin’s lab
has focused on chronic pain and vaporized drug delivery. During my free time I enjoy
volunteering, music, and spending time with my husband, daughter, and our dog.
Abigail G. Jahnke
I received my Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Louisiana State University in
2020. I attended Tulane University and graduated with my Master of Science in Neuroscience
in 2023. As a Master’s student I worked in the Gilpin Lab under Dr. Sydney Vita and
joined Dr. Nicholas Gilpin and Dr. Tiffany Wills’ labs as a Research Associate after
completing my degree. My work focuses on the interaction between adolescent alcohol
and pain in rats with a specific focus on the vlPAG. In my free time I do all types
of arts and crafts (too many to list) and spend time with friends and family!
Vedika Mahadevan
I am currently a fourth-year undergraduate student at Tulane University pursuing dual
Bachelor’s degrees in Neuroscience and Public Health. I have been in Dr. Wills’ and
Dr. Gilpin’s labs since March 2025 and work closely with Dr. Kyllo to support his
project on how chronic alcohol exposure during adolescence can modulate circuits in
adults with alcohol-induced hyperalgesia. My long-term goal is to pursue a PhD in
Neuroscience or Neuropharmacology, with a focus in opioids and opioid use disorder.
