THE WEINER LAB

Wake. ​Forest School. of Medicine.

Weiner Lab

Lab Members

We are a highly collaborative team with funded projects involving Drs. Sara Jones, Kim Raab-Graham, Brian McCool, and Evgeny Budygin, as well as interactions with many other laboratories at Wake Forest School of Medicine that are employing animal and human subjects to study the neurobiology of addiction vulnerability.

Jeff Weiner
Principal Investigator

My job is to keep the lights on (write papers and grants), motivate the lab (occasionally buy lunch or donuts), and try to come up with good ideas once in a while (read/review papers and grants). I am also a devoted father and husband and one of the worst (but most enthusiastic) golfers you’ll ever meet.

View Jeff's CV

Antoine “Dibs” Almonte
Instructor

My research interests are focused on the neurocircuitry and neurobiology underlying perturbed synaptic function and cognition in co-occurring psychiatric disorders and addiction. Outside of lab, I enjoy having my guts wrenched by Manchester United and the Georgia Bulldogs, listening to music at unreasonable volumes, sipping on Bourbon and Scotch, and when my knees aren’t too sore after running.

View Antoine’s CV

Sarah Ewin
Graduate Student (IPP)

I am a fourth year graduate student at Wake Forest School of Medicine. My dissertation focuses on using circuit-mapping techniques to study the effects of early life stress on the basolateral amygdala’s projection to the nucleus accumbens and how adaptations in this circuit alter motivated behaviors. Outside of lab, I spend most of my time with my two mini Australian shepherds, Max and Lily.

View Sarah's CV

Nathan McMullen (NEUR)
Graduate Student

I received a B.S. in Biology from Wake Forest University in May of 2017, with minors in Neuroscience and Chemistry. As part of the Neuroscience 4+1 Program, I studied and currently study alcohol addiction and comorbid PTSD utilizing rodent models. Currently, I am in the final year of my Master’s program (Neuroscience) at Wake Forest School of Medicine. In my free time, I enjoys traveling, watching sports (go Eagles) and watching movies.

View Nathan's CV

James “Whitt” Morgan (NEUR)

Ann Chappell (aka: “The Rat Whisperer”)
Senior Technician

I have over 30 years of experience conducting behavioral studies with rats and have been working with Drs. Weiner and McCool for over twelve years (God help me!). My specialty is brain-region specific microinjections and operant alcohol self-administration and I enjoy teaching these methods to our trainees. When I’m not in the lab, you’ll find me with my horse or hanging out with friends at the track.

Eugenia Carter
Technician

I have been with this wonderful lab for almost 10 years. My job is to carry out those good ideas (and bad ones) that Dr. Weiner comes up with . I specialize in the behavioral side of our research and conduct many of our lab’s rodent assessments of alcohol drinking and emotional behaviors. I also enjoy training and assist our graduate students and postdocs. Prior to working in research, I spent 8 years working at a radio station. I still love music and enjoy having an occasional “jam session” with my friends. I also have a great love for baking, but most of my free time is spent with my family, especially my sweet little granddaughter.

LAB ALUMNI

Tracy Butler


Assistant Professor
University of Dayton

Andrew Rau


Postdoctoral Fellow
Colorado State University

Mary Jane Skelly


Postdoctoral Fellow
Weill Cornell Medicine of Cornell University

Yuval Silberman


Assistant Professor
Penn State University

Karina Abrahao


Postdoctoral Fellow
NIH-NIAAA