The once controversial idea that parental experiences, such as stress or diet, can shape the physiology and behavior of their offspring via epigenetic mechanisms has become an active area of research. Dr. Mathieu Wimmer studies the influence of drug abuse in fathers (sires) on future generations. His research program combines animal models of drug addiction and memory formation with molecular biology techniques to investigate the impact of paternal drug taking on drug-related behaviors and memory formation in progeny.

Dr. Wimmer is also interested in epigenetic remodeling events in the brain that underlie these inherited changes in behavior. Dr. Wimmer received his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania under the mentorship of Dr. Ted Abel. His postdoctoral training under the guidance of Dr. Chris Pierce at Penn focused on the transgenerational epigenetics of cocaine addiction. Dr. Wimmer’s research is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Dr. Wimmer's Publications

Reza graduated from Tehran University in 2005 with a B.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology. He earned an M.S in Molecular Biology from the national institute of genetic engineering and biotechnology (NIGEB), where his work focused on cloning new genes in the B. subtilis genome. His Ph.D. in Medical Proteomics from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences focused on the meta-analysis of available high-throughput data on Alzheimer's disease. In the Wimmer lab, Reza has been developing bioinformatic analytical pipelines for large sequencing data sets. His projects are aimed at delineating the molecular signatures associated with chronic drug exposure in reward-related brain regions. He is also continuing to purse meta-analyses of existing data sets related to addiction-like behaviors in rodents and chronic drug use in humans.

Dr. Karbalaei's publications

Caesar graduated from The University of Scranton in 2009 with a B.S. in Neuroscience. Upon completion of his undergraduate studies, he then pursued a Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the Penn State College of Medicine under the mentorship of Drs. Sue Grigson and Bill Freeman. His graduate work focused on developing an animal model that behaviorally stratified animals on their addiction-like behavior based on their avoidance of a natural reward. Furthermore, he also examined the interplay between environmental enrichment and heroin self-administration at the behavioral, genetic, and epigenetic levels. After obtaining his Ph.D. in 2015, Caesar decided he wanted to do more with his knowledge of the basic sciences and integrate it into clinical practice. Therefore, Caesar then enrolled at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and obtained his M.D. in 2019. Caesar is currently a psychiatry resident on the research track at Temple University. In the Wimmer laboratory, Caesar plans to investigate the molecular changes associated with extended drug abstinence that may influence craving and relapse.

Dr. Imperio's publications

Dana earned her B.A. in Psychology from Marshall University in 2016. Under the mentorship of Dr. Thomas Gould, she received her Ph.D. in Biobehavioral Health from Penn State University in the summer of 2021. Her graduate research focused broadly on genomic, neurobiological and behavioral underpinnings of learning and addiction in rodent models. Dana joined the Wimmer lab in the Fall of 2021. Her current research interests include mechanisms underlying multi- and transgenerational inheritance of drug addiction phenotypes, as well as the development and study of rodent behavioral paradigms.

Dr. Zeid's publications

Beth earned her B.S. in Neuroscience and Behavior from the University of New Hampshire in 2015. While at UNH, she studied thalamic nuclei and their influence in flexible goal-oriented behavior. She then pursued her Ph.D. in Dr. Kyle Smith's lab at Dartmouth College. Her graduate work focused on contributions of ventral pallidum and nucleus accumbens in cue-driven motivation and behavioral phenotypes. She continued as a postdoc for a year in the Smith Lab using optogenetic and chemogenetic techniques to manipulate motivated behaviors. In the Wimmer lab, Beth is looking forward to exploring the multi- and transgenerational impact of drugs of abuse leveraging a combination of behavioral and molecular approaches.

Dr. Smedley's publications

Joanna graduated from the University of Massachusetts Boston with a B.S. in Biology in May of 2021. While at the University of Massachusetts Boston, Joanna was a research assistant in Dr. S. Tiffany Donaldson's lab where she studied environmental enrichment as a treatment for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. She also contributed to work concerning the effects of amphetamine exposure in adolescent rats. She joined the Wimmer lab as a PhD student in fall 2021 and hopes to investigate the epigenetics of chronic drug use and how drug addiction may contribute to cognitive deficits. Outside of the lab, Joanna likes making and listening to music, fitness, and reading comics.

Paris graduated from the Florida Institute of Technology with a B.S in Psychology and specialization in Neuropsychology. While completing his undergraduate degree, his research under the tutelage of Dr. Webbe focused on concussion testing in patients using an objective Virtual Reality system (NVIT). Paris then joined Drs. Mihailidis and Khan's laboratories at the University of Toronto where he helped develop and Artificial Intelligence Response System for fall detection. Paris joined the Wimmer lab as a PhD student in the Fall 0f 2021. He plans to investigate the epigenetic processes contributing to substance abuse and addiction-related behaviors. In his free time, Paris enjoys listening to musing, working on his vacation rental business and traveling.

Carmen Dressler graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Neuroscience in December of 2020. She joined the Wimmer lab as a laboratory technician in February 2021. Carmen is excited to participate in the research dedicated to the effects of opioids on memory and addiction. In the future, she plans on attending medical school and pursuing a career as an emergency medicine doctor.

Citlalli is currently majoring in Neuroscience (Class of 2023) and is also minoring in Accounting. She joined the Wimmer Lab in the Fall of 2020 and hopes to learn more about the STEM research field as well as gain knowledge about drug addiction and epigenetics. After graduation, Citlalli plans on applying to graduate schools and getting more research experience.

Mariyah is currently majoring in Neuroscience, as well as minoring in Public Health with a certificate in American Sign Language (class of 2023). She joined the Wimmer lab in the fall of 2020 in order to better understand the relationship between environment and addiction-like behaviors. Mariyah is also interested in the neurobiology of relapse. She hopes to pursue a PhD in Neuroscience in the future.

Camryn is pursuing a BS in Neuroscience in the College of Liberal Arts with a minor in Sociology of Health. She is part of Temple's Honors Program and plans to graduate in May 2024. Camryn intends to enter medical school after graduation and aspires to complete a residency in pediatrics, following with sub-specialization in pediatric emergency medicine or pediatric oncology. She is very passionate about public health and hopes to gain experience within both the lab and the community. Camryn is also the volunteer Chair for the Public Health Club FIMRC and is a member of Temple's Phi Delta Epsilon Chapter for pre-medical students. She hopes to work on the epigenetic inheritance project, examining how antenatal opioid exposure impacts future generations.

Chethan is majoring in Neuroscience in the College of Liberal Arts (Class of 2023) at Temple University. He joined the Wimmer Lab in Spring 2020 and his project is focused on the role of chemokines in addiction. His research examines the effect of novel chemokine receptor antagonists on modulating the reinforcing efficacy of opioids and other reinforcers. After graduation, Chethan plans on attending medical school and he aspires to become a physician.