Kristin Scaplen, Bryant University
Dr. Kristin Scaplen, a RI-INBRE Early Career Development (ECD) awardee, is an Assistant Professor of Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology and an Executive Faculty Fellow at Bryant University.
Dr. Scaplen has been working with student researchers at Bryant University on a variety of projects that ultimately explore the neural circuits and mechanisms that underlie alcohol use and addiction. Having the opportunity to do real-world science experiments, she says, can be a transformative moment for students. “They start by applying the ideas and concepts they have learned in the classroom. Ultimately, they realize that there are so many questions that still do not have answers — and that they have the opportunity to help answer them — it can be really motivating for them,” Dr. Scaplen notes. “They begin to understand that all of the ideas and concepts they’ve learned about in the classroom were discovered in a lab not too unlike their own.”
“RI-INBRE was instrumental in building and outfitting my research space and establishing my research program. It was especially transformative in advancing the sciences here at Bryant. Since 2020, I’ve mentored 20 different undergraduate students in research that were all in some way supported by RI-INBRE, and they have presented their research at local, regional, national, and international 
conferences. None of this would have been possible without the support from RI-INBRE.”
As part of the RI-INBRE ECD project, Scaplen lab is making significant progress in collecting imaging data by recording changes in neural activity and dopamine release in response to odor and alcohol intoxication from circuits that are essential for alcohol reward memory acquisition and retrieval. Much of this work was used as preliminary data for her first NIH R15 grant application, submitted in June 2023. The proposal received outstanding reviews and is awaiting a decision.
Scaplen found herself thrust into the spotlight, gracing the pages of esteemed media outlets and engaging in thought-provoking interviews. These include GBH News’s All Things Considered with Arun Rath to the Boston Globe Innovator Q&A: Interview with Alexa Gagosz, Providence Business News: 5 Questions with Kristin Scaplen, and the American Addiction Centers Addiction Talk Podcast with Joy Sutton. Her insights captivated audiences far and wide, shedding light on the profound implications of her research. ” Learn more about Dr. Kristin Scaplen