Lab Members – Laboratory of Addiction Genetics

Meet the Team

Camron Bryant, Ph.D.

Principle Investigator

Camron D. Bryant completed his undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign where he conducted an honors thesis project examining the genetic basis for phenotypic variation in the analgesic properties of acetaminophen (Tylenol®) in mice. Dr. Bryant earned his Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA in 2006 where he focused on signaling mechanisms and Pavlovian-conditioned properties of opioid adaptive behaviors. He completed his positions as a Postdoc and Research Associate in genetics at the University of Chicago (2007-2012) before joining the Department of Pharmacology at Boston University School of Medicine as Assistant Professor in the fall of 2012. Dr. Bryant has received numerous awards including the Achievement Award for College Scientists (ARCS), the International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society (IBANGS) Outstanding Young investigator Award for Postdocs, and the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) Travel Award. He serves as an ad hoc reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals in his field including Genes, Brain and Behavior, Psychopharmacology, Drug and Alcohol Dependence and is a Review Editor for Frontiers in Genetics. Dr. Bryant accepted the position at Northeastern University in the summer of 2023 and opened his lab in 2024.

Abe Kielar

Lab Technician

Rylin Lubash

Lab Technician

Britahny Baskin, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Brit is a postdoc in the Bryant Lab with over 12 years of experience researching trauma and addiction in rodent models. She graduated from Boston University with a BA in Neuroscience and Psychology and an MA in Psychological and Brain Sciences before earning her PhD from the University of Washington in Seattle. Her thesis work involved collaborating with clinicians to study the behavioral, neurological, and microbiome changes following blast traumatic brain injuries. Her current project focuses on the genetic basis of psychostimulant use disorder with the hope of elucidating novel targets for treatment. Brit has a long history of developing and engaging in neuroscience outreach programs and teaching from an equity lens. She takes great joy in mentoring the next generation of scientists, constantly seeking out opportunities for them to develop their strengths. Outside of the lab, if she isn’t playing with her Frenchie, Yoshi, she is likely watching stand-up comedy, baking, or color-coding her life.

Sophia Miracle

PhD Student

Sophia Miracle is a PhD student in the Graduate Program of Neuroscience (GPN) at Boston University. She graduated with honors from Canisius University in 2019 with a B.S in Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation (ABEC) and Psychology, and with minors in Anthrozoology, Clinical Counseling of Adult Populations, and Neuropsychology. Sophia found a love for Addiction Neuroscience after working in multiple labs focusing on the neural mechanisms of alcohol- and opioid-use disorder, prior to starting her grad school career. In the Bryant Lab, Sophia will explore the genetic component underlying opioid use disorder, with a particular focus on opioid withdrawal. In doing so, she will 1. Identify and localize the effect of brain Zhx2 on the metabolism of oxycodone in CRISPR-mediated mouse strains and 2. Incorporate machine learning methodologies to better understand the mouse behavioral repertoire during both spontaneous and naloxone-precipitated withdrawal. When Sophia is not in the lab, you can find her playing video games, reading, or whipping up a new concoction in the kitchen.