 Contact Information Name: Laura Ryan Email: leryan@mail.utexas.edu My name is Laura Ryan and I am a third-year psychology major at the University of Texas at Austin. I will graduate in May of 2010 and am currently working on my undergraduate honors project. Current Research For my research project, I will be working under Dr. Juan Dominguez, Ph.D. Dr. Dominguez's work is in neuroscience and uses sexual behavior in rodents as a model for other motivated behaviors like drug addiction. My research will focus on the relationship between adenosine, caffeine and the ventrolateral preoptic nucleus in the hypothalamus. Previous Research I worked in Dr. Cathy Echol's lab from 1/08 - 12/08. In her lab, I worked on a cross-cultural research study in which we examined how infants look to others during play interactions, share interest, and express themselves prior to being able to speak and how these abilities develop over time. I participated in running experiments in participants' homes, making appointments, and also began work on the dictation process for data analysis. Activities and Honors I am currently a member of Psi Chi, the national psychology honor society. I am also a member of the Texas Travesty, a humor publication at U.T. Links Dr. Dominguez's Lab: http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/HomePage/Faculty/Dominguez/lab/ Psi Chi: http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/homepage/group/psichi/what.html Dr. Echol's Lab: http://www.psy.utexas.edu/psy/FACULTY/Echols/Echols.html |