BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Hammack received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Concordia University Chicago. While pursuing his master’s degree in pharmacology at Georgetown University, he completed work as a graduate student researcher, investigating pharmacodynamics of α7 neuronal nicotinic receptors. After the completion of his master’s degree, he worked as a research assistant at Georgetown University as a research assistant under a team led by Dr. Patrick Forcelli where he investigated seizure circuitry through pharmacological, viral, electrical, genetic, and optogenetic interventions. Robert began pursuing his PhD in neuroscience at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland where he investigated the role of the lateral habenula in developmental neuropsychiatric disorders under Dr. Fereshteh Nugent. He then went on to finish his PhD at UT Health San Antonio under the mentorship of Dr. Glenn Toney where he investigated the role of anterior basolateral amygdala fear-learning-activated ensemble in encoding remote fear memory and negative-valence behaviors.

 

PUBLICATIONS

Hammack RJ, Fischer VE, Andrade MA, Toney GM (2023). Anterior basolateral amygdala neurons comprise a remote fear memory engram. Front. Neural Circuits. PMID37180762.

Santos VR*, Hammack R*, Wicker E, et al. (2020). Divergent effects of systemic and intracollicular CB receptor activation against forebrain and hindbrain-evoked seizures in rats. Front Behav. Neurosci. PMID33328922. *equal first author

Browne CA, Hammack R, Lucki I. (2018). Dysregulation of the lateral habenula in major depressive disorder. Front Synaptic Neurosci. PMID30581384

Santos VR, Kobayashi I, Hammack R, et al. (2018). Impact of strain, sex, and estrous cycle on gamma butyrolactone-evoked absence seizure in rats. . Epilepsy Research. PMID30261353.

Queenan BN, Dunn RL, Santos VR, Feng Y, Huizenga M, Hammack RJ, Vicini S, Forcelli PA, Pak DTS (2018). Kappa opioid receptors regulate hippocampal synaptic homeostasis and epileptogenesis. Epilepsia. PMID29114861.