Ashley Xu

Ashley Xu is a Ph.D. student in the Lu Lab and the Mackie Lab. She graduated from University of Rochester in 2020 with a B.S. in Brain Cognitive Science and a B.A. in Psychology. During her undergraduate years, she became interested in studying the neural mechanisms underlying behaviors, especially how early life experiences can shape and alter brain development. She conducted electroencephalography (EEG) studies on human subjects to study the relationship between congenital deafness and language acquisition with visual attention and tactile sensitivity. She then realized she wanted to study a more causal, rather than correlational, relationship between the brain and behavior.

Following her passion, she spent a year as a post-bac research assistant in Dr. Hailan Hu’s lab where she discovered the power of using animal models to study neural circuitry. She also learned valuable skills in system neuroscience research which led her to continue to pursue a Ph.D. in Neuroscience to further her career as a research scientist.

After being accepted by the Program in Neuroscience at Indiana University, Ashley was very excited about the ongoing research at the Gill Institute. The cannabinoid project collaboration between Dr. Hui-Chen Lu and Dr. Ken Mackie is of particular interest to her. Based on previous findings in the lab suggesting possible interactions between the endocannabinoid system and the serotonergic system, her project aims to elucidate the neural circuitry and neurobiological mechanisms of the effect of perinatal cannabinoid exposure on the serotonergic system. Combining her interest in mood disorders, her passion for helping people with mental illnesses, and experience-dependent brain development, Ashley says this is the perfect place for her doctoral training. She would like to continue pursuing a career in academia after graduation but is also open to other opportunities and experiences.