Dr. Schmidt earned a PhD in pharmacology and biomedical neurosciences from the Boston University School of Medicine in 2006 and completed a post-doctoral fellowship with Dr. Ron Duman at Yale University in 2008. Dr. Schmidt's current research aims to identify drug-induced neuroadaptations that promote drug-taking and drug-seeking behaviors. Specifically, Dr. Schmidt and his research team are investigating the neurobiological mechanisms underlying nicotine self-administration and the reinstatement of nicotine seeking in rodents, an animal model of smoking relapse. Jerry A. Stitzel, PhD