People

Joseph Cheer, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Joe’s main interests lie in the elucidation of the neurobiological effects of cannabinoids in both natural and drug-induced reinforcement. Joe graduated from Universidad de los Andes (Bogota, Colombia) with a B.S in Biology in 1996. He joined the Laboratory of Neurobiology and Experimental Microsurgery at the Colombian Neurology Foundation where he worked for 1 year investigating CNS regeneration using oncogene-tranfected cells and sciatic nerve co-grafts in motor cortex-lesioned animals. Joe received his Ph.D from the University of Nottingham (Neuroscience Section of the School of Biomedical Sciences) under the direction of Profs Charles Marsden and Dave Kendall and Dr Rob Mason. Joe’s graduate research focused on the behavioral and electrophysiological effects of cannabinoids.

Joe’s first postdoc (2000-2002) was spent in Sam Deadwyler’s laboratory (Wake Forest University School of Medicine) where he conducted research on multiple single-unit electrophysiology in freely moving organisms. Joe joined Mark Wightman’s lab as a post doc in fall 2002 at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill). There, he established the use of a microelectrode that allows for the simultaneous measurement of single-unit activity and dopamine release via fast-scan cyclic voltammetry.

Joe is currently a tenured professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where he directs undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral projects related to several neurophysiological and neurochemical aspects of endogenous cannabinoid signaling in intact systems.

In his spare time Joe likes to enjoy the outdoors with his two daughters, his wife and his rescue dog, Rusty.

Iness Gildish, M.S.

Laboratory Manager

Neurobiology and psychology became Inna’s main interest during high school and she knew she wanted to be a researcher in this area. Inna earned her B.S in Molecular Bio-Chemistry from Technion, Haifa, Israel in 2008. During her studies at the Technion she met prof. Kobi Rosenblum whose research in taste learning and memory mechanism dazzled her so she decided to continue her education in his lab.

A year later she joined prof. Kobi Rosenblum’s lab in Haifa University as a M.S. student. During this time she worked with transgenic mice to determine how regulation of translation elongation involved in taste memory formation and its consolidation. By using behavioral, molecular, and imaging techniques, she was able to make progress in understanding the relationship between regulation of protein synthesis during memory consolidation and behavioral output. Inna joined the Cheer Lab in December 2011 to learn about electrochemical and neurophysiological recordings in behaving animals, and to better understand the endocannabinoid system.

Inna’s future goals are to complete a Ph.D. in neuroscience. In her spare time she enjoys reading, watching movies, photography and traveling.

Miguel Angel Lujan Perez, Ph.D.

Research Associate

Miguel completed his undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University Jaume I in Spain. He then pursued a master’s degree in Neuroscience at the University of Barcelona under the mentorship of Dr. Olga Valverde. During his MSc and PhD, Miguel’s research focused on delineating the potential therapeutic effects of phytocannabinoid CBD in a mouse model of cocaine use disorder.

Following his PhD in Biomedicine, Miguel joined the Cheer lab to investigate the development and modulation of dopamine function by the brain endocannabinoid system. During his postdoctoral tenure, Miguel has continued to pursue his own research interests, notably discovering a prospective biomarker of relapse propensity, and proposing a neurobiological mechanism for postpartum substance use disorder vulnerabilities. This line of research was recently funded by a K99 grant from NIDA and will be his main focus as he transitions to an independent position.

Carlos F. Cardozo, PhD.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Carlos obtained his undergraduate degrees in Electronic Engineering (2010) and Biology (2014) from Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia. His profound interest in Physiology and Neurobiology inspired him to pursue a PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the same institution. Under the guidance of Prof. Juliana Rengifo Gomez, his PhD thesis focused on the role of O-GlcNAcylation in brain ischemia events using a rat model. Carlos also served as a lecturer in human physiology at Universidad Icesi and Universidad Javeriana-Cali for several years, where he discovered a passion for teaching.

Driven by his desire to understand brain function, particularly in relation to motivation and addiction behavior, Carlos joined Prof. Joseph F. Cheer’s laboratory in 2024. He is currently engaged in research aimed at evaluating the effects of reducing huntingtin protein on motivational behavior and motor performance in a mouse model of Huntington’s disease.

Antonio Figueiredo, B.S.

Graduate Researcher

Email

Antonio graduated in 2016 from the University at Buffalo with a B.S. in
Biological Sciences, concentrating in Neuroscience and Cellular & Molecular
Biology, and a B.A. in Chemistry. Upon graduating, he accepted a research
position at the University at Buffalo Research Institute on Addictions under Dr.
Panayotis Thanos. Antonio’s research investigated the role of fatty acid-
binding proteins as transporters of endocannabinoids. This experience helped
shape Antonio’s interest in examining the intersection of endocannabinoids
and disorders of motivation.

To further his training, Antonio joined the University of Maryland School of
Medicine’s Science Training for Advancing biomedical Research Post-
baccalaureate Research Education Program (STAR-PREP). Under the
guidance of Dr. Joseph Cheer, Antonio learned various techniques to
measure neuronal signaling and neurotransmitter release in vivo. This
experience continued to build on his understanding of motivation and reward
systems.

Currently, Antonio is a Ph.D. candidate under Dr. Cheer’s mentorship.
Here, he continues his research investigating the role of cannabinoid type 1
receptors on hippocampal-cholinergic terminals in regulating motivation.
Following his Ph.D. training, Antonio wishes to pursue a post-doctorate
fellowship and become a principal investigator.

Reana Young-Morrison, B.S.

Research Technician

Reana graduated from University of Vermont in 2020 with a BS in Neuroscience and a BA in Spanish.

During her undergraduate studies Reana she did clinical research with Autism. For her senior thesis she developed a project aimed at understanding language processing and comprehension in Autism. The study focused on determining an individuals ability to distinguish between phonemes and complex tones. Understanding differing levels of attenuation and MMN amplitudes sought to demonstrate and pinpoint language deficits in Autism.

In the future she hopes to attend graduate school for a PhD in neuroscience.

Ella M. Rocha, B.S.

Research Technician

Having spent most of her childhood following her dad while he completed his PhD in Biochemistry, Ella grew in love with science and dreamt of becoming a scientist. Following this path she was awarded a scholarship (in a cooperation between Brazil-Peru governments) to pursue her bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences at the Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo – UNIFESP. Where she has the joy to be the first foreign student enrolled in this program to successfully graduate in Biomedical Sciences.

During her undergrad Ella received the PROMISAES fellowship and because her passion for science she joined from her first year as a volunteer researcher and rotated in laboratories of the Department of Physiology, Biophysics, Pharmacology and in the Center for Development of Experimental Models (CEDEME-UNIFESP). These allowed her to accumulate as much experience as possible, until she was captivated by the study of behavior and substance use disorders. For her senior thesis she carried out a project aiming to evaluate if environmental enrichment could reverse the high impact that food restriction stress has over behavioral sensitization in substance abuse disorder.

In her spare time, Ella enjoys her family, photography and learning more everyday about animal behavior.

Toni Capó Quetglas

Visiting Fellow

Toni Capó Quetglas graduated in 2021 from the University of the Balearic Islands with a B.S. in Biology. He then pursued a Master’s in Neuroscience (2022) at the same institution, followed by a Master’s in Teacher Training (2023).

Antonio’s research career began under the mentorship of Dr. Cristofol Vives Bauza, where he spent a year investigating the role of the PATJ protein in stroke development and its potential impact on stroke prognosis. This experience sparked his interest in the molecular mechanisms underlying neurological disorders.

Eager to expand his expertise, Antonio joined Dr. Gemma Navarro’s laboratory to pursue his Ph.D. His research focuses on the contribution of cannabinoid and orexin receptors to the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Using both transfected cells and primary cultures of mouse neurons and microglia, Toni investigates the intricate signaling pathways involved in these conditions.

Driven by his passion for understanding the complex role of cannabinoid receptors in neuropathology and his desire to work with behavioral models, Toni joined Dr. Joseph Cheer’s laboratory. His current research aims to elucidate the interactions between the endocannabinoid system and key neural circuits involved in motivation and addiction, particularly the dopaminergic system.

Joan Gabriel

Visiting Fellow

Joan Gabriel completed his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry (2022) at the University of the Balearic Islands in Spain. He then pursued a Master’s in Molecular Biotechnology (2021) at the University of Barcelona, and followed by a Master’s in Teacher Training (2022) at the same institution. At the same time, Joan Gabriel’s research career began under the mentorship of Dra. Gemma Navarro, where he started his PhD in the Molecular Neurobiology laboratory in the University of Barcelona. His research ignited his curiosity about the molecular mechanisms behind neurodegenerative diseases and the impact of the cannabinoid and orexin systems in Alzheimer’s disease. Driven by his desire to understand brain function Joan Gabriel joined Dr. Joseph Cheer’s lab. His current research focuses on uncovering the interactions between the endocannabinoid system and key neural circuits linked to motivation and addiction, emphasis on the dopaminergic system.

Tanvi Gangisetty

Undergraduate Volunteer

Tanvi is a junior at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is studying psychology and neuroscience while being on the pre-med track.

Along with working on projects in the Cheer Lab, she has been an active member of medical clubs on campus and has been volunteering for the Children’s Inn at NIH. She has also worked on other research projects in the Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences department at the University of Maryland.

Interested in joining the lab? Contact us about potential openings.

Alumni

Years	Alum	Current Position
2009 – 2011	Carien Lansink, Ph.D.	Associate Professor, University of Amsterdam
2009 – 2012	Giovanni Hernandez, Ph.D.	Jasper Research Fellow, University of Montreal
2010 – 2013	Roger Cachope, M.D.	Director of Systems Neurobiology, CHDI, adjunct Assistant Professor, UMSOM
2010 – 2013	Erik Oleson, Ph.D.	Associate Professor, University of Colorado, Denver
2013 – 2014	Thibaut Sesia, Ph.D.	Group Leader, University of Cologne
2013 – 2019	Jen Wenzel, Ph.D.	Assistant Professor, University of San Diego
2014 – 2020	Dan Covey, Ph.D.	Assistant Professor, Lovelace Research Institute, University of New Mexico
2014 – 2021	Natalie Zlebnik, Ph.D.	Assistant Professor, University of California, Riverside