Research Overview —
My work in the Smith Lab focuses on social loss in the monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), a rodent species that forms pair bonds between breeding partners. I worked on the effects of social loss in male prairie voles as an NIH Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Scholar in 2021-2022 and am now exploring the effects of social loss in female prairie voles.
Publications —
Kirckof, AC & Ehlinger, DG (2020). Amelia’s anxiety: A case study of the development of anxiety disorders in adolescence. Baylor University McNair Research Conference, 2020.
Kirckof, AC & Ehlinger, DG. (2021) The effect of adolescent social isolation on nicotine conditioned place preference and stress-coping behavior. Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, 2021.
Awards and Honors —
- July 2021 – August 2022: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) scholar, University of Kansas (KU).