The Translational Addiction Podcast Talks with Dr. Emily Castro

In this episode of The Translational Addiction Podcast, hosts Michaela Sumortin and Tanvi Garneni sit down with Emily Castro, PhD, postdoctoral fellow in the Lotfipour Lab at UC Irvine and author of the article discussed in episode #2. Together, they explore Castro’s scientific journey and passion for addiction research. Castro shares how her curiosity and drive to understand complex brain mechanisms connected her to neuroscience, with a particular focus on substance use disorders (SUDs). She discusses her current role in the lab, her work on neuroglia’s involvement in addiction, and the challenges and surprises that came with that line of investigation. The conversation touches on the unpredictability of scientific research, especially in the face of funding instability, and how she navigates moments of doubt and unexpected data. Castro also offers thoughtful advice for aspiring researchers and emphasizes the importance of shifting public understanding of addiction from moral judgment to a neurobiological perspective.

Listen now on lotfipourlab.org