Arif Hamid, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Hanna H. Gray Fellow at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, joined the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Medical Discovery Team (MDT) on Addiction Nov. 1. His laboratory will look at the underpinnings of the circuit mechanisms in the brain that help facilitate adaptive decision making and the ways in which the neurotransmitter dopamine affects motivation and learning.

Dr. Hamid completed his undergraduate degree at the U of M, where he was first exposed to neuroscience laboratories, and received his PhD in neuroscience from the University of Michigan. He was then a postdoctoral fellow at Brown University, where he was able to grow as an independent thinker and refine his research.

Amy is a Neuroscience PhD student at the University of Minnesota, focusing on multi-timescale dopamine dynamics in the Hamid lab. She earned her B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Iowa in 2022 and gained early research experience with Marco Hefti. Her current research explores circuit and behavioral mechanisms underlining behavioral flexibility across multiple timescales and striatal regions. Outside the lab, Amy enjoys hiking with her dog, reading, and exploring the Twin Cities.

Haowei is a Neuroscience PhD student at the University of Minnesota. He earned his B.Eng. in Electronic and Information Engineering from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and an M.S. in Electronic Engineering from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He then worked in the AI Chip Center for Emerging Smart Systems, focusing on hardware-aware model optimization and the development of a chip toolchain. His research in the Hamid lab focuses on the dynamics of dopamine in the striatum, using both experimental and theoretical methods to understand computations for credit assignment and agency. Outside of academia, Haowei enjoys traveling, hiking, and befriending every dog he meets.

Hibo is a 2020 graduate of the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and is currently a medical student at the University of Virginia. She discovered her interest in basic science research as an undergraduate in the Hamid Lab, where she studied the relationship between dopamine and acetylcholine in the dorsal striatum. Hibo is passionate about health and educational equity and plans to pursue a career in plastic and reconstructive surgery, with a focus on microsurgery and global health.

Nick, a Neuroscience PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota with Dr. Rocio Gomez-Pastor, collaborates with the Hamid lab while pursuing his research on circuit-specific synaptic maintenance in the aging striatum. He holds a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Hope College and an M.S. in Neurobiology from Northwestern University. Nick's research bridges molecular neuroscience with cognitive behaviors. Outside the lab, he enjoys hiking, biking, playing board games, and cooking (if he hadn't been a scientist, he would want to be a chef).

Asma, a Junior Research Specialist in the Hamid Lab, holds a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Minnesota. Asma is working on a project examining the circuit mechanisms of dopamine and acetylcholine in the dorsal striatum and how they become leveraged during reward learning and cognitive flexibility. Her research journey began in Dr. Rocio Gomez-Pastor's lab, where she studied Huntington's disease and continued in Dr. Daniel Voytas's lab, where she focused on the plant biology of maize yields. She is passionate about addiction research and neuroscience. Outside the lab, Asma enjoys the outdoors and works as a birth and postpartum doula, connecting deeply with her community.

Dylan is a Junior Research Specialist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2023 with degrees in Neuroscience and Cellular and Organismal Physiology. His lab project examines behavioral and circuit constraints on striatal dopamine waves using advanced fluorescence imaging and optogenetics in vivo. Dylan's research interests include how normal dopamine dynamics become dysregulated in psychiatric disorders. He aspires to pursue a dual MD/PhD program with a focus on mechanistic and computational psychiatry. Outside the lab, Dylan enjoys watching Minnesota sports, working out, and playing frisbee golf.

Meea, a Junior Research Specialist, graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Biology, Society, and Environment. His research in the Hamid DIRE lab focuses on the impact of neural circuitry on decision-making and behavior. Meea is also dedicated to improving science communication to the broader community through outreach and mentoring. Outside the lab, he enjoys dancing, exploring, and studying contemporary African music theory.

Faith (she/her) is a Junior Research Specialist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2023 with degrees in Neuroscience and Cellular and Organismal Physiology. She joined the Hamid lab after discovering her interest in neuroscience and behavior while working in the McGaugh lab. Faith's current research examines opponent basal ganglia pathways and their effects on learning from gains and losses. In her free time, she enjoys making art, longboarding, and spending time with her cat.

Semele, a Louis Stokes North Star STEM Alliance (LS-NSSA) Undergraduate Research Scholar, graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2024 with a degree in Biomedical Engineering. She interned and later joined the Hamid DIRE lab as it opened doors, working on probabilistic bandit behavioral tasks to study reinforcement learning. Her passion for understanding addiction and mental health disorders stems from her experiences growing up in Ethiopia. Outside of her research, Semele enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, dancing, and creating ceramics.

Yusuf, a Louis Stokes North Star STEM Alliance (LS-NSSA) Undergraduate Research Scholar, is an undergraduate student at Saint Paul College. His passion for neuroscience was sparked in high school after attending a neuroscience class at the University of Minnesota, which led him to join the Hamid lab. In his free time, Yusuf enjoys skiing, reading, and playing soccer.

Mufaro is an LSSURP Undergraduate Research Scholar, Meyerhoff Scholar, and a rising senior at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, majoring in Biology with a minor in Psychology. Her research interests focus on neuroscience, specifically addiction and drug abuse, and she aspires to obtain an MD-PhD. Mufaro joined the Hamid lab as part of the LSSURP Neuroscience Drug Addiction program and previously conducted research at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC (FBRI) and UMBC. In her free time, she enjoys binge-watching TV shows, working out, and trying new foods.

Sobtain is an incoming freshman at the University of Minnesota, majoring in Biochemistry with a minor in Entrepreneurship. He recently transitioned from a retail job to an internship in the Hamid Lab, where he gained hands-on experience in various lab tasks, from conducting experiments to assisting with surgeries. Outside of the lab, Sobtain enjoys video games, drawing, longboarding, and playing guitar.