Ana Beatriz Melgar

I am a student at the University of South Florida Honors College, double majoring in Psychology and Cell & Molecular Biology. My research interests focus on how internal physiological states regulate motivation, decision-making, and behavior through neural circuits.

I work with Dr. Kristine McDermott to investigate how cortical inputs influence serotonergic systems involved in feeding and behavior. Using fiber photometry and behavioral assays, I examine neural activity during anxiogenic conditions, analyze photometry data, and am training in surgical techniques for in vivo neural recordings. Through this research, I am developing training in systems neuroscience and experimental approaches for circuit-level analysis of behavior, which I plan to carry forward into graduate school.