Kayla Townsley

As a post-bacc, Kayla Townsley conducted research in the lab of Dr. Angela Ozburn at Oregon Health and Science University studying the molecular mechanisms underlying addiction and conducted pharmaceutical screenings of novel therapeutics for alcohol use disorders. Currently her research interests include the relationship between epigenetic modifications, brain plasticity, and affective disorders, and the intersection of these areas that can contribute to the comorbidity of substance use disorders and psychiatric disorders. She also finds the interactions between the epigenetic influences that contribute to an addiction phenotype and an individual's genetics that may confer susceptibility or resistance to that phenotype an intriguing area for exploration — one that has implications for both our understanding of basic epigenetic mechanisms as well as having clinical relevance for improved treatment options.