Amina TBABA
Neuroscience PhD Student, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Kansas
Education
B.A. in Chemistry, California State University — Long Beach, 2023
PREP Postbac, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Kansas
RESEARCH INTEREST
Amina’s research interests involve deriving the neurological mechanisms behind secure and insecure attachment through the lens of social loss and stress.
ACADEMIC BIO
Amina received her B.A. in Chemistry from California State University, Long Beach in 2023. Her undergraduate research involved the discovery and synthesis of novel metal-organic frameworks for applications in carbon dioxide capture. Prior to attending CSU Long Beach, she worked for several years at Opiant Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where she worked closely with the Senior-Level Team and Commercial Department to provide in-depth market analysis of the substance use disorder therapeutics market. She participated in the NIH Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program at the University of Kansas in 2023, where she works in the Smith lab exploring the potential interactions between the oxytocin and serotonin systems during social loss. She is currently a graduate student with Dr. Smith in the Neuroscience PhD program at KU focused on the interaction between substance abuse and social attachment and the neurobiological mechanism of social motivation during partner loss. She has been awarded the KU University Graduate Fellowship and Madison & Lila Self Graduate Fellowship.
Publications
Vitale EM, Tbaba A, Sanchez S, Hale L, Kenkel W, Johnson M & Smith AS (2024) Pair bond quality influences social conditioned place preference expression, passive coping behavior, and central oxytocin receptor expression following partner loss in male prairie voles. Soc Neurosci. 19: 273-286. PMID: 39577457. [pdf]