Faculty/Research
Berman, Doreen, Ph.D.
Bodnar, Richard J., Ph.D.
Borod, Joan C., Ph.D.
Bruder, Gerard, Ph.D.
Brumbaugh, Claudia, Ph.D.
Brumberg, Joshua, Ph.D.
Chacko, Anil, Ph.D.
Croll, Susan D., Ph.D.
Ehrlichman, Howard, Ph.D.
Farrell, William, Ph.D.
Fields, Lanny, Ph.D.
Flory, Janine, Ph.D.
Foldi, Nancy, Ph.D.
Foxe, John, Ph.D.
Golub, Sarit, Ph.D.
Gomes, Hilary, Ph.D.
Halperin, Jeffrey, Ph.D.
Hinton, Veronica, Ph.D.
Johnson, Ray, Jr., Ph.D.
Kest, Benjamin, Ph.D.
Kluger, Alan, Ph.D.
Li, Andrea, Ph.D.
Lizardi, Humberto, Ph.D.
Pytte, Carolyn L., Ph.D.
Rabin, Laura, Ph.D.
Ranaldi, Robert, Ph.D.
Ravdin, Lisa, Ph.D.
Sclafani, Anthony, Ph.D.
Sneed, Joel, Ph.D.
Sturmey, Peter, Ph.D.
Walder, Deborah, Ph.D.
Ranaldi, Robert, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Education: Ph.D. Queens University (Canada)
Email: robert.ranaldi@qc.cuny.edu
Office: Razran 202
Telephone: 718-997-3553
Lab: Razran 259
Telephone: 718-997-3564
Laboratory of Learning and Motivation
PhD Courses:
PSYC 70000 History of Psychology
PSYC 71100 Physiological Psychology
Selected Publications:
Lee, D.Y., Guttilla, M., Fung, K.D., McFeron, S., Yan, J. and Ranaldi, R. (2007). Rostral-caudal differences in the effects of intra-VTA muscimol on cocaine self-administration. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, 86(3), 542-549.
Zellner, M.R. and Ranaldi, R. (2006). Neonatal isolation reduces food-rewarded operant responding in rats. Psychological Record, 56, 371-386.
Sharf, R., McKelvey, J. and Ranaldi, R. (2006). Blockade of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the ventral tegmental area prevents acquisition of food-rewarded operant responding in rats. Psychopharmacology, 186(1), 113-121.
Sharf, R. and Ranaldi, R. (2006). Blockade of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the ventral tegmental area disrupts food-related learning in rats. Psychopharmacology, 184(1), 87-94.
Research Summary:
In my laboratory we study the neural mechanisms underlying motivation, learning and drug addiction. Primarily, we are focused on the role of dopamine, and its interactions with other neurotransmitters, in the mesocorticolimbic system in motivation for reward stimuli (.e.g., food or cocaine) as well as in the neuronal plasticity that occurs during the acquisition of new reward-related behavior. We explore these questions through the use of behavioral procedures including instrumental and classical conditioning combined with neuroscience techniques such as systemic and intracerebral drug delivery and immunohistochemistry (e.g., cFos and dopamine immunoreactivity).
Lab Members:
Postdoctoral Fellow:
Brian Nolan, PhD
Doctoral Students:
Maggie Zellner (Neuropsychology)
Karen Kest (Neuropsychology)
Jennifer Morrison (Learning Processes and Behavior Analysis)
Masters Students:
Karrie Weppler
Michelle Davidson
Undergraduate Students:
Dan Hong Chen
Marie Josma
Fahmida Khan
Daniel Lubelski
Robert Lundgren
Michelle Saliba
Christopher Tanchez
Anuradha Verma
Jamar Whaley