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 current research focus lies on what happens in the brain during disengagement (= when a person fails to engage in a task despite needing or intending to do so). I am especially interested in the neuromodulatory mechanisms that underlie this state, as well as how they are altered by pharmacological interventions. Understanding the neurocircuitry involved may help explain a wide range of behaviors and disorders, including social interactions, consumer choice, doomscrolling, and clinical phenomena such as substance use disorder, gambling, and the apathy seen in depression.