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Milan Valyear is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia, contributing to the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health. He earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University, followed by a Ph.D. in Psychology from Concordia University in 2020. His research focuses on leveraging optical neuroscience tools to reveal cellular, circuit, and regional dynamics that reinforce disengagement behavior, which aims to inform the development of effective treatments for addiction. His laboratory investigates the neural substrates that support reinforcement and disengagement behaviors, particularly in relation to psychopathologies characterized by the failure to disengage, such as binge eating and alcohol use disorders. Dr. Valyear's work emphasizes the complexities of the dopamine system's role in problematic behaviors, particularly its interactions with glutamatergic inputs and distinct striatal innervation patterns. He employs cutting-edge techniques to examine the physiological underpinnings of fundamental psychological processes.
Offers course-only and thesis routes. Focus areas include philosophy of science, mind, ethics, and Asian philosophy.