Dr. Karkhanis received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience in 2010 in the laboratory of the late Prof. Ralph Siegel at Rutgers University where she studied neuronal encoding of sensorimotor representation for reaching in the parietal lobe of macaques. Her growing interest in neuropharmacology led her to complete her post-doctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Sara Jones at Wake Forest School of Medicine. In Dr. Jones' lab, she studied the effects of early-life stress and chronic intermittent ethanol exposure on voluntary self-administration of ethanol and alterations in mesolimbic dopamine transmission. She is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and a member of the Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center at Binghamton University. Her independent work combines cutting-edge techniques to elucidate and modulate neural circuits involved in affective and addictive disorders. 

e-mail: akarkhan@binghamton.edu 

Dr. Carpenter completed his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy at the Drexel University College of Medicine under the mentorship of Dr. Jessica Barson. For his dissertation, he studied the receptor variant-based changes in the role of PACAP in the nucleus accumbens during the transition to ethanol dependence, seeking to better understand the changes that occur in stress related systems that correlate with dependent behavior. Prior to starting his Ph.D. research, he graduated from Transylvania University with B.A. in Neuroscience with a biology emphasis and from Drexel University with a M.S. in Neuroscience. Dr. Carpenter joined the Karkhanis Lab as a Post-doctoral Fellow in December 2025. He is now interested in dissecting the neurobiology of alcohol and pain with a focus on sex-differences. In his free time, Dr. Carpenter curls up with his cat, Morgana, to read a good book, or tends to his ever-growing collection of succulents.     

e-mail: bcarpenter1@binghamton.edu 

Gavin graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Cognitive Sciences in May 2021. He officially joined the Behavioral Neuroscience program and the Karkhanis lab in July 2021. He seeks to investigate the neural mechanisms of intravenous opioid self-administration in rats, while also researching how the nucleus accumbens plays a role in ethanol self-administration. As a researcher, Gavin hopes to aid in the understanding of how and why substance use disorders manifest, especially in the face of the opioid epidemic. He hopes to further pursue these research interests beyond graduate school as a principal investigator. Outside of the lab, Gavin loves to read, watch movies with friends, and play chess!  

e-mail: gvaugha1@binghamton.edu 

Maddi graduated from Miami University with a B.A. in Psychology and co-major in Neuroscience in May 2022. At Miami, she researched stress, social relationships, and health outcomes, as well as possible interactions between fluctuating levels of estrogen and psilocybin efficacy. She began in Karkhanis lab in July 2022. At Binghamton she will work with Dr. Karkhanis to study the impact of adolescent alcohol exposure on pain sensitivity and risks of developing comorbidities later in life. She hopes to gain insight into the neural mechanisms behind these changes and work to further understand substance use disorders to work to have better treatments and outcomes for those affected. Outside of academics she loves to listen to music, hike, cook, and is always ready for a coffee break.

e-mail: mheitka1@binghamton.edu 

Josephine received her B.A. in Neuroscience in May 2024 and her M.A. in Behavioral Neuroscience in January 2026 at Queens College. During her master’s training, she conducted research on trigeminal neuropathic pain and pain-related behaviors using mouse models. She joined the Karkhanis lab in July 2026, where she studies how prenatal and adolescent alcohol exposure alter pain processing through changes in dopamine signaling in the anterior cingulate cortex. Her overall research interests focus on understanding the neural mechanisms that contribute to chronic pain and its comorbidity with substance use disorders, with the goal of improving treatment outcomes for individuals affected by these conditions. Outside of the lab, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, practicing yoga, and caring for her two pet guinea pigs, Cookie and Sweetie. 

e-mail: jvaccaro3@binghamton.edu