Susana received a PhD from the University of Connecticut under the mentorship of Dr. John Salamone. She then conducted post-doctoral research in the lab of Dr. Stephen Rayport at Columbia University Medical Center, where she later led her own research as a Research Scientist, before joining the faculty at the Advanced Science Research Center at CUNY in 2019.
Education and Training
Columbia University / NYS Psychiatric Institute
Research Scientist Level III, (2010-2019)
Postdoctoral Fellow, Stephen Rayport Lab (2007-2010)
University of Connecticut
PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience (2000-2007),
Department of Psychology,
John Salamone Lab
University of Lisboa
BS in Biology (1993-1998)
Faculdade de Ciências,
Lisboa, Portugal
Interests
Scientific: Motivation, Learning and Memory, Salience Processing, Neural Circuits, Aging, Schizophrenia, Delusions, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics, Fiber Photometry, Synaptic Physiology, Imaging.
Recreational: Cooking with her wife, concerts, beach, soccer, biking, bouldering with her daughter.
Pending Funding
- NIH_NIA (R01): “Pathway-Specific Vulnerability of Dopamine-Glutamate Neurons in Aging and Memory”.
Current Funding
- NIH_NIA Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award (R21): “Dopaminergic Mechanism for Familiarity and Memory Interference”.
Awards and Funding
- PSC-CUNY Research Award (2025-2026)
- CUNY Interdisciplinary Research Grant (IRG) (2023-2025)
- NIH_NIMH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award (R21) (2020-2022)
- NIH_NIDA Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award (R21) (Co-PI, 2015-2017)
- Outstanding Presentation Prize, The New York Academy of Sciences (2016)
- NARSAD Young Investigator Award, Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (2013-2015)
- Travel Fellowship for the NIDA mini-convention, San Diego (2010)
- Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, University of Connecticut (2006)
- Neuroscience Fellowship, University of Connecticut (2002-2004)
- PhD grant from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal (2001-2005)
- Fulbright Fellowship, Fulbright Commission, Portugal (2000-2004)
- Leonardo DaVinci Post-Graduation Fellowship, European Union (1999-2000)
- Erasmus Exchange Program Fellowship, European Union (1998-1999)