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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)

CV // NIH Biosketch // Google Scholar // Pubmed // LinkedIn // Twitter

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 Drug Abuse: “Basolateral amygdala dopamine in addiction-related learning strategies”, 2024-2027

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