The Manza Lab Team

Principal Investigator

Peter Manza, Ph.D

Pete Manza, Ph.D., received his bachelor’s in biology and psychology from the University of Rochester and his doctorate in Integrative Neuroscience from Stony Brook University. He then had postdoctoral training under Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Pete conducts clinical trials testing novel treatments for addiction (substance use disorder), and uses advanced brain imaging techniques, including MRI and PET, to assess target engagement of these treatments. Pete has authored nearly 100 peer-reviewed publications and two book chapters. For his contributions to addiction science, Pete recently received the NARSAD BBRF Young Investigator Award, the ACNP Athina Markou Award, and the Winter Conference on Brain Research Conan Kornetsky Award. Pete is dedicated to training the next generation of clinical scientists: he has mentored over 25 trainees (undergraduate, post-bac, and graduate/medical students). To date, these trainees have published 20 first-author peer-reviewed publications under Pete’s supervision.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, Psychiatry

Published Work

Lab Members

Kynah B. Walston, M.A.

LAB MANAGER, CLINICAL RESEARCH SPECIALIST

Kynah Walston, MA, received her BS in Psychology and Neuroscience from Bridgewater College, where she studied the reinforcement enhancing effects of caffeine and alcohol consumption. Kynah went on to receive her MA in Experimental Psychology from East Tennessee State University. At ETSU she examined the pharmacokinetics and reinforcement enhancing effects of deta-9 THC. Kynah began work at University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine in 2023 as a research assistant, working to understand the neurocircuitry underlying alcohol’s effects on serotonin and its impact on affective and behavioral states. Kynah is now the Lab Manager and a Clinical Research Specialist for the Manza Lab where she works to improve treatment outcomes for those with opioid use disorder. When not in the lab, Kynah enjoys painting and is a music history enthusiast.

Cassie Nelson, M.S.

Cassie Nelson, MS, received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Maryland Global Campus and her Masters of Science in Forensic Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University. In 2023, she joined the University of Maryland School of Medicine as a research assistant, where she investigated the neurobiological mechanisms underlying social behavior and stress, with a particular focus on how social stress and drug exposure influence motivation, reward processing, and vulnerability to substance use disorders. Cassie has joined the Manza Lab as a Clinical Research Assistant. In her free time, she likes to foster dogs and travel.

CLINICAL RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Sophie Ogunsanmi, B.S.

Sophie Ogunsanmi is a second-year PhD student in the Program in Neuroscience at the University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Psychological Science with a minor in Neuroscience from Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. Sophie’s research interests have always encompassed the effects of traumatic experiences in various populations, with her most recent project focusing on the susceptibility of college students to comorbid mental health disorders following a diagnosis of PTSD. Furthermore, in the aftermath of the pandemic, Sophie joined Dr. Daniel Chandler’s lab, where she worked on the effects of social isolation stress on the locus coeruleus of the brain. Her goal is to develop her skills as a clinical researcher by utilizing brain imaging techniques to investigate how novel treatments for addiction alter brain activity. Outside of her academic and leadership responsibilities, she enjoys unwinding by watching reality television shows and traveling.

NEUROSCIENCE PhD STUDENT

Merel Verhoeven, B.S.

Merel Verhoeven, BS, received her BS in psychology with a minor in neuroscience from St Mary’s College of Maryland, where she studied the effects of cocaine on gut dysbiosis. During her time at St. Mary’s, she was awarded the 2021 Lisa Zsebedics Memorial Award and the 2024 Psychology Major Award for her dedication to the department and research. She also completed a senior thesis on the effects of diphenhydramine on spatial memory. Previously, she was a laboratory assistant in the Mong Lab studying sleep disruption and stress. Merel is now a PhD student in the Manza Lab helping to conduct clinical trials to develop and improve treatments for substance use disorder. Outside of lab, Merel volunteers in local harm reduction efforts and enjoys spending time with her cat.