About

At UCLA, Andrews and her team conduct basic and translational research at the intersection of neuroscience and nanoscience. Her interdisciplinary group of chemists, neuroscientists, and engineers aims to understand how neurotransmitters, like serotonin, encode emotionally significant information related to anxiety, mood, and stress responses. They use electronic field-effect transistors (FETs), electrochemical sensors, microdialysis, and machine learning to investigate high-resolution neurotransmission in animal models and patient populations. Her team develops wearable sensors for stress hormones and other biomarkers to advance personalized predictive medicine and enhance health and wellness.

Andrews’ group research focuses on understanding how serotonin neurotransmission encodes emotionally salient information related to anxiety, mood, and stress responsiveness. Serotonin transporter regulation of transmission is investigated in mouse models and neuropsychiatric patient populations. Neuropsychopharmacology, developmental timing, and stress are used to probe the serotonin system in the context of the etiology and treatment of anxiety and mood disorders, and predictive personalized medicine. Microelectrode voltammetry and microdialysis methods are developed to investigate serotonin transmission in vivo with high spatial and temporal resolution. Nanomaterials are designed for studies on neurotransmitter recognition by native and nonnative binding partners (aptamers) and for the development of field-effect transistor biosensors.