Amy Zhang

EDUCATION

College / University

University of Bristol

Highest Degree

Bachelor of Science

Major Subjects

Neuroscience and Psychology

United Kingdom

Lab Experience

Rat organ dissection, fluorescent and chromogenic immunohistochemistry, cryotome and microtome tissue sectioning, deparaffinisation, antigen retrieval, preparing antibody solutions, hematoxylin and DAPI cell staining, ImageJ and GIMP data analysis, fluorescent and light microscopy, psychophysics experiments with human participants.

Projects / Research

2025: Investigating how scopolamine affects probabilistic decision making in humans, Newcastle University
2024: Validating and developing protocols for products used in IHC, academic-industry partnership between HelloBio and University of Bristol
2023: Investigating microglial activation in the PAG and PFC in rodent models of chronic pain, University of Bristol

Scholarships / Awards

2025 - 2026:

Stipend by the International Max Planck Research School

SCIENTIFIC INTERESTS AND GOALS

Why do we do things that are bad for us? I want to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying self-destructive behaviours, where there is a disconnect between what someone wants and what is truly good for them. In extreme cases, these behaviours manifest in conditions like addiction, OCD, and eating disorders. What causes this disconnect in the brain, and how can we repair it? I have previously researched the prefrontal cortex due to its role in self-awareness and decision making, as well as dopaminergic reward pathways that skew the perceived value of an incentive. Currently, I am interested in metacognition and the therapeutic effects of using neuroplasticity to shift our thoughts about ourselves and the world. My goal is to conduct research that expands our understanding of psychological disorders to develop more effective and empathetic treatments.