Hi! I’m Tiffany Donaldson, PhD.
I am Professor of Psychology (Developmental and Brain Sciences) at the University of Massachusetts Boston and a National Research Mentoring Network Certified Facilitator and Trainer.
As a Black woman bench scientist who has been unwelcomed in many spaces of learning, I am committed to creating more equitable STEM environments for people of color, particularly women. This commitment is most evident in the mentoring workshops and trainings I conduct that center anti-racist, research-based practices and in my own mentoring relationships with trainees.
To date, I have mentored more than 250 trainees in my Behavioral Neuroscience lab where I use a rodent model to understand pathways to drug addiction. My research has highlighted distinct vulnerabilities in females and adolescents, as well as the importance of environmental enrichment in reversing these vulnerabilities. Findings from my work have implications for translational science with a potential to uncover novel treatment interventions for drug addiction in vulnerable populations.