Destin Rothe

I joined the department as an MSc in Psychological Research student in 2024 and I am currently working as a Research Assistant on projects involving human fMRI. My research interests lie in how the acute, repeated-dose, and residual effects of recreational and therapeutic drugs affect the human brain while still considering the complex array of social, affective, and legal factors that influence substance use. Specifically, I want to explore how recreational and therapeutic drugs influence cognitive processes such as decision-making, memory, and sensory processing. Broadly, my goal is to contribute to an interdisciplinary understanding of drug use that can inform policy and ultimately support the development of safer environments around recreational substance use. 

My main focus currently is investigating how decision-making is shaped by beliefs about value and uncertainty of single reward options and the overall reward context. I am especially interested in the neuromodulatory mechanisms underlying these processes, and how they may be altered by pharmacological interventions. Insights about the neurocircuitry involved help explain social interactions, consumer choices, "doomscrolling," and various clinical phenomena such as substance use disorder, gambling, and apathy observed in depression.