Michael Hochstein
Entering Class - 2023
Pronouns: He/Him
E-MAIL: [email protected]
Undergraduate Institution and Major:
Mount St Marys College, B.S. in Biochemistry & Biopsychology, 2020
Graduate Advisor
Jan Zimmermann, Ph.D., Department of Neuroscience
Graduate Research:
We study the neural mechanisms underpinning decision-making, utilizing electrophysiology and high-field MRI.
Graduate Awards/Honors
T32 Fellowship 2024-2025
Rotations
David Redish, Ph.D., Department of Neuroscience
Madhu Kannan, Ph.D., Department of Neuroscience
Jan Zimmermann, Ph.D., Department of Neuroscience
Undergraduate Research
I studied different surfactants and their resulting micelles, specifically the cylindrical micelles formed by 3,5-dichlorobenzoate-CTA+, using NMR and IR spectroscopy and Dynamic Light Scattering in my undergraduate program. Upon graduation, I studied the role of mGlu2 in reward learning and alcohol consumption in mouse models under Dr. Kari Johnson at the Uniformed Services University.
Undergraduate Publications
- Littlepage-Saunders, M., Hochstein, M. J., Chang, D. S., & Johnson, K. A. (2023). G protein-coupled receptor modulation of striatal dopamine transmission: Implications for psychoactive drug effects. British journal of pharmacology, 10.1111/bph.16151. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.16151
- Assessment of behavioral flexibility in mice with conditional deletion of metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 from Emx1-lineage neurons Doris S. Chang, Mydirah Littlepage-Saunders, Michael J. Hochstein, Christopher J. Matteo, Kidus Amelga, Gregg E. Homanics, Kari A. Johnson bioRxiv 2023.09.15.558004; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.09.15.558004
Undergraduate Awards/Honors
CRC Press Chemistry Award (Scholastic achievement in chemistry) 2017
Monsignor Hugh J. Phillips Prize (Highest freshman GPA) 2017
Nik Kierniesky Memorial Scholarship Award (Senior with promise in psych) 2019
Monsignor Robert R. Kline Prize (Psychology senior with highest GPA) 2019
What got you interested in research?
I have always been interested in science, but it was doing community outreach in the Kensington neighborhood in Philadelphia that made me realize that my way to help the world as a whole is to continue in research and move the field forward.
Why did you choose Minnesota?
I chose Minnesota chiefly due to the imaging capabilities they have in CMRR combined with the range of high-level research being performed here. It also helped that MSP is quite affordable and the people are quite nice.
Best advice from a graduate mentor?
Explore a range of labs during rotations. I had limited experience with animal research in my undergraduate studies and found I enjoyed it while working after I graduated. I had no experience with the animal models used in Dr. Zimmermann's lab until my rotation, and now I can't imagine not working in these models.
