Benjamin T. Saunders, PhD
Ben received his B.S. from West Virginia University and PhD (thesis) from the University of Michigan, where he worked in the lab of Terry Robinson. He then did postdoctoral research in Patricia Janak's lab, first at the University of California, San Francisco, and then at Johns Hopkins University. In 2018, he joined the University of Minnesota as an independent investigator.
Assistant Professor Department of Neuroscience Medical Discovery Team on Addiction University of Minnesota School of Medicine (he/him)
Mentoring and lab values statement
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Education and Training
Postdoctoral Training Johns Hopkins University (2015-2017) University of California, San Francisco (2013-2015) Advisor: Patricia Janak, PhD
Graduate Training PhD in Biopsychology (2007-2012) University of Michigan Advisor: Terry Robinson, PhD
Undergraduate B.S. in Psychology (2002-2007) B.S in Biology (2002-2007) West Virginia University
Current Funding
R01, National Institute on Mental Health: “Functional architecture of striatal networks in cue-reward learning”, 2022-2027
R01, National Institute on Mental Health: “Circuit-level neurodevelopmental trajectories of decision-making computations across adolescence”, 2022-2027
Selected Awards and Honors
NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00 DA042895), 2017
NARSAD Young Investigator Award, Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, 2016
Travel Award, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 2015
NIH Individual Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (Postdoctoral NRSA F32 DA036996), 2014
Outstanding Dissertation in Biopsychology Award, University of Michigan Department of Psychology, 2013
NIH Individual Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (Predoctoral NRSA F32 DA030801), 2011
Distinguished Lecturer Award, University of Michigan Department of Psychology, 2010
NIDA Early Career Investigators Travel Award, 2009