Irina Esterlis, Ph.D.
Young Investigator

Irina Esterlis is a second year NIDA T32 postdoctoral fellow at the Yale University Psychiatry SPECT Imaging Program. Dr. Esterlis completed her undergraduate training at the SUNY at Buffalo, and received doctor of philosophy degree in clinical psychology from the University of Connecticut. She specifically trained in neuropsychology, and completed a neuropsychological internship at Yale University. Dr. Esterlis has received several fellowships and travel awards.

Dr. Esterlis’ current interests lie in the assessment of the relationship between cognition, behavior, and neurochemistry. She published a book chapter examining neurochemical substrates of tobacco smoking. She recently presented at several international conferences, discussing results from a GABAA-BZR study that evaluated receptor availability in nonsmokers and smokers, as well as this availability in relation to mood symptoms and pain sensitivity. Furthermore, objective of one of her current projects is to evaluate β2-nAChR occupancy prior and post nicotine challenges in tobacco smokers with nicotine dependence and this relationship to cognitive and behavioral factors. Dr. Esterlis is interested in conducting similar studies in individuals with mental illness in order to evaluate β2-nAChR role in cognitive and behavioral processes in individuals with schizophrenia and other disorders.

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