Aging Brain and Cognition Laboratory

116 College of Medicine Office Building (COMOB)
Phone: (859) 323-7263
Fax: (859) 323-5350

Director: Yang Jiang, Ph.D.

Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative brain condition that affects millions of older Americans. Identifying those in the early stages of the disease, including those with mild cognitive impairment, provides a unique opportunity to slow or halt its progression. Dr. Jiang’s lab is developing novel visual memory tests, which have demonstrated that the combination of neuroimaging and behavioral testing shows great promise for early detection of cognitive decline. Working with Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, ABC lab has been engaging a pool of well-characterized healthy normal older adults, who have been followed for 18 years, to conduct EEG and fMRI studies at their transition from normal to cognitive impairment.

The ABC Laboratory, includes two human behavioral testing chambers.  Each sound-proof chamber is equipped with a computer for visual displays, reclining chair, audio equipment, and video cameras for subject monitoring. The state-of-art 64 channel EEG system (NeuroScan SynAmp II) is set up inside and outside of the chamber, along with a bench area for preparation and storage of EEG caps, gels, and other supplies. The windows-based computers are available for data analysis of behavioral and EEG data.  In addition, a Linx-based server computer is linked to the Davis-Mills Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Center (MRISC). It is used for MRI data transferring, analysis, and storage.

Laboratory of Human Behavioral Pharmacology (LHBP)

465 East High Street, Suite 204B
Lexington, KY 40507
Phone:   (859) 257-5388
Fax: (859) 257-7684

Director:  Craig R. Rush, Ph.D.

The Laboratory of Human Behavioral Pharmacology (LHBP), a research unit in the Department of Behavioral Science at the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital, was established in 1999 and is currently directed by Dr. Craig R. Rush.   The mission of the LHBP is two-fold.  First, through its research, the LHBP aims to elucidate the biological, pharmacological and environmental factors that contribute to drug abuse.  These research activities are primarily funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and private foundations like the Alcoholic Beverage Medical Research Foundation (ABMRF).  Second, the LHBP has as its mission to train pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellows, medical students and psychiatry residents in substance-abuse research.

Current research activities in the Laboratory of Human Behavioral Pharmacology (LHBP) are primarily focused on identifying putative pharmacotherapies for the management of stimulant dependence. Compounds from diverse pharmacological classes are being studied including atypical antipsychotics, agonist replacements, and GABA_A modulators.  Research in the LHBP uses principles of pharmacology and behavioral analysis to determine the behavioral and neuropharmacological underpinnings of drug abuse and dependence.  Facilities are available for the conduct of outpatient and inpatient studies.  Drug effects are assessed using a variety of behavioral (e.g., drug discrimination, subjective effects and memory/performance measures), cardiovascular and physiological assays.  A computerized data-collection system custom designed for the conduct of human behavioral pharmacology studies used, and completely automates the collection of relevant behavioral and physiological data.  Because the behavioral and neuropharmacological effects of drugs contribute to their abuse, the research activities conducted at LHBP provide basic information that is necessary for the development of improved behavioral treatments as well as for the development of medications to treat alcohol and drug abuse.

Laboratory of Human Behavioral Pharmacology Staff

Frances Wagner, RN
Clinical Research Nurse
Fpwagn2@uky.edu
Phone: (859) 257-5388

Michelle Gray
Research Analyst
Mdg2171@aol.com
Phone: (859) 257-5388

Neena Khanna
Research Analyst
nkhan2@uky.edu
Phone: (859) 257-5388

Derek Roe
Laboratory Technician Senior
droe2@uky.edu
Phone: (859) 257-5388

Kristi Yingling
Laboratory Technician Senior
ksying2@uky.edu
Phone: (859) 257-5388

Josh Barnett
Research Assistant
joshbarnett@gmail.com
Phone: (859) 257-5388

Brandi Earp
Research Assistant
brandiearp@email.uky.edu
Phone: (859) 257-5388

Doris Castellanos Cruz
Research Assistant
dmcastellanos-cruz@uky.edu
Phone: (859) 257-5388

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Andrea Vansickel
Graduate Student
Phone: (859) 257-5388
arvans2@uky.edu

Megan Poole
Graduate Student
megan.poole3@uky.edu
Phone: (859) 257-5388

POST DOCTORAL FELLOW

Rajkumar J. Sevak
Postdoctoral Fellow
Phone: (859) 257-5388

Residential Research Facility

1401 Nicholasville Road Lexington, KY 40503
Phone: (859) 277-3766
Fax: (859) 323-5350

Director: Thomas H. Kelly, Ph.D.

The Residential Research Facility, a 2400 square foot house located two blocks from the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital, was renovated for the observation and analysis of human behavior in a naturalistic setting. In combination with resources at the Medical Center, the facility supports all aspects of human research, including subject recruiting, screening, training, and testing. Several individuals can reside simultaneously and comfortably for up to four weeks at a time in the facility, which is equipped with traditional residential furnishings. Resources include networked computer and closed-circuit audio-visual systems and an automated physiological/behavioral monitoring system. The networked computer system provides a means for maintaining continuous communication between subjects and staff, facilitates automation of the daily schedule of activities, and provide a means for the objective measurement of subject performance. The audio-visual system, which includes video cameras and microphones located throughout the facility, enables investigators to monitor ongoing behavior. Software programs have been developed to support continuous recording and categorization of behavior. The physiological/behavioral monitoring system, which instantaneously records and/or displays digital and/or analog measures, such as physical location, behavioral activity, verbal behavior, heart rate, skin temperature, or skin conductance, allows continuous monitoring of subject welfare and enables investigators to examine the relation between environmental events and psycho-physiological responses. Thus, the residential facility provides a controlled, naturalistic setting uniquely suited for objective, yet non-invasive investigations of the relationships between biological, psychological and social variables and human behavior.

RESEARCH VOLUNTEERS

A number of ongoing behavioral studies are being conducted at the Residential Research Facility under the supervision of the faculty and staff of the Department of Behavioral Science at the University of Kentucky. If you are interested in being considered for participation in these studies, please click the link below for more information or call (859) 277-3799.

RRF Recruiting

Residential Research Facility Staff

Thomas H. Kelly, PhD.
Director
Phone: (859) 323-5206
Cell: (859) 285-8998
thkelly@uky.edu

Joshua A. Lile, PhD.
Associate Director
Phone: (859) 323-6034
jalile2@uky.edu

Catherine A. Martin, MD.
Medical Consultant
Phone: (859) 257-9341
cmartin@uky.edu

Beth Eaves
Residential Research Facility Aide
Phone: (859) 277-3766
beave0@uky.edu

Cleeve Emurian
Scientist
Phone: (859) 277-3766
emurian@uky.edu

Glenn Robbins
Research Coordinator
Phone: (859) 277-3766
cgrobb2@uky.edu 

Graduate Students

Shanna Babalonis
Phone: (859) 277-3766
babalonis@uky.edu

Dustin Lee
Phone: (859) 277-3766
dclee2@uky.edu