PEOPLE | KSU Neuroscience Lab

We are an interdisciplinary team of faculty, postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate researchers working to understand the emotional brain and improve mental health.

Director

Ebony Glover, Ph.D. is an associate professor of neuroscience in the Department of Psychological Science in Radow College of Humanities & Social Sciences at Kennesaw State University. Prior to joining the KSU faculty, Dr. Glover was awarded a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Fellowships in Research and Science Teaching (FIRST) Postdoctoral Fellowship and a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA). She earned a bachelor’s degree from Spelman College in Psychology, and a Masters and Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Animal Behavior from Emory University Laney Graduate School.

Faculty Collaborators

Dr. Glover collaborates with numerous faculty across various departments and colleges on multiple grant-funded projects.

Sharon Pearcey, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology
Department of Psychological Science
Radow College of Humanities & Social Sciences

Monica Swahn, Ph.D.

Dean and Professor of Health Promotion and Physical Education
Wellstar College

Afekwo Mary Ukuku, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Public Health
Department of Health Promotion and Physical Education
Wellstar College

Doreen Wagner, PhD, RN, CNOR, FAORN, FAAN

Assistant Director of Nursing Research and Scholarship and Professor of Nursing
Wellstar School of Nursing

Awatef Ergai, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Engineering
Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering
Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering & Engineering Technology

Yenupini Joyce Adams, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of the Practice
Global Maternal Research Lead
Eck Institute for Global Health
University of Notre Dame

Research Team

We have an outstanding team of researchers that currently includes one postdoc, four graduate research assistants, and nine undergraduate research assistants.

Anna Rosenhauer

Postdoctoral Researcher

Dr. Anna Rosenhauer is a post-doctoral fellow in the Affective Neuroscience Laboratory at Kennesaw State University under the direction of Dr. Ebony Glover. She received her PhD in neuroscience from Georgia State University studying the effects of social stress experienced during development. She broadly seeks to understand the biological basis of fear and anxiety and their implications for mental health and is investigating the interplay of stress responses, hormones, and PTSD. In her free time, you can find her practicing yoga, drinking coffee, writing in her journal, or playing with her dog.

Ashante Thompson

Graduate Research Assistant

Ashante Thompson is a Master of Social Work student and works as a research graduate assistant in Dr. Glover’s Affective Neuroscience Lab. Ashante received her Bachelor of Arts and Science degree in Neuroscience from Georgia State University in Spring of 2020. After taking a gap year, she pursued a Master of Social Work degree further her career in clinical, therapeutic practices as well as advocacy and social justice for oppressed populations in America. Her most recent research focused on the analysis of the perceptions of social “out-groups” (African Americans) and how those perceptions and attitudes correlate with the physiological responses of those in social “in-groups” (White Americans). After her receiving her masters, Ashante plans to further her education to help better serve her future clients.

Madelyn Dorn

Graduate Research Assistant

Throughout both her education and clinical experience, Madelyn has found a passion for working with mental illness and vulnerable populations. Her undergraduate degree in Psychological Science has provided a foundation in psychological theory, while her minor in Applied Statistics and Data Analytics developed her strong research skills. Now, in her second year of her Master of Social Work, Madelyn is learning firsthand clinical skills to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She plans to get her PhD in translational neuroscience and employ psychophysiological biomarkers to investigate factors related to female anxiety and PTSD, early life trauma, and substance abuse. She hopes her research will inform public policy while improving treatment and services to clients.

Brittney Owens

Graduate Research Assistant

Brittney Owens is an integrative biology master’s student and a graduate research assistant in the Affective Neuroscience Lab. She received her BS in Interdisciplinary Studies with an Anthropology minor from The University of Central Florida in 2016, and a BS in Health Sciences with a human disease focus from The University of South Florida in 2020. Prior to graduate school, she was an epidemiology intern at The Florida Department of Health and worked as a health educator to the underserved through partnerships between The AIDS Health Foundation and local non-profits throughout Central Florida. Her current research is focused on differences in hormonal biomarkers of PTSD in victims of childhood abuse. In the future, she would like to study the neurobiological aspects of mental illness in people of color and plans to pursue a doctoral degree in physiology after obtaining her master’s. In her (barely existent) spare time, she’s usually tending to her succulents, exploring Atlanta, or throwing around weights in the gym.

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Samantha Erdmann

Graduate Research Assistant

Samantha Erdmann is in a dual degree program obtaining a Master of Social Work and a Master in Business Administration. She has earned her BS in Psychology here at Kennesaw State. She is currently working in the Affective Neuroscience Lab as a Graduate Research Assistant. After graduating, she entered the workforce diversifying her skillset working in Case Management and as a Patient Access Specialist in WellStar Hospital. Providing mental health services and resources to the community has solidified her career choice to go into clinical social work. After graduation, her career goals are to provide Social Work services to underrepresented & disadvantaged populations, namely working with and furthering the literature in research on the bilingual, Spanish-speaking population as a Mexican American.