Dr. Nikki Crowley

Biography

Nikki Crowley is an Associate Professor in Biology and the Director of the Penn State Neuroscience Institute at University Park. She holds a B.S. in Psychology Statistics from James Madison University, an M.A. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and a Ph.D. in Neurobiology from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine. Her postdoctoral training was completed at Penn State University in 2016-2017. Her research centers on understanding neuropeptides, which are unique signaling molecules in the brain. She investigates the interactions between neuropeptides and neurotransmitters, as well as how these systems are altered by factors like biological sex, stress, drug exposure, and age. Dr. Crowley seeks to answer big questions regarding peptide signaling conditions and the implications these have on neurobiological processes.

Research Interests