Parrish Waters, PhD
Associate Professor
Office: 337 Jepson Science Center
Email: rwaters@umw.edu
Phone: 540-654-1416
Though my research experiences are diverse (some would say meandering!), the common theme has been stress. I did my PhD work in South Dakota, exploring how physical exercise can affect the brain. Physical activity is wonderful at reducing stress and is acknowledged as a very effective anti-depressant. My worked on this topic focused on changes in central monoamine systems (i.e. dopamine, serotonin, and adrenaline in the brain) and the effects of these neurotransmitters on the stress hormone cortisol.
After completing my PhD, I worked in a lab at the Medical University of South Carolina that specializes in developing interventions to drug addiction, specifically, cocaine addiction. Addiction disorders are primarily mediated by stress (both current and prior stress) and also involve the monoamine neurotransmitters. Current work in this field focuses on exercise as an intervention to cocaine addition.
After completing my work at MUSC, I worked as a behavioral specialist with the NeuroCure Cluster in Berlin, Germany. Here, I worked with a diverse group of scientists to developed behavioral models that help to validate genetic mouse models of human psychological disorders.
My current research explores social hierarchies (social stress is the most extreme stress that many animals – including humans – encounter). My research at UMW involves laboratory mice, and is chronicled on my website.
Courses:
- BIOL 384: Human Anatomy
- BIOL 413: Human Physiology
- BIOL 419: Neuroethology (RI course)
- BIOL 451: Seminar (e.g., Exercise and the Brain, the Neurobiology of Elicit Drugs, etc.)