Meg Fox, PhD

Principal Investigator

Meg received a BA in Chemistry and Biology from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2009 under Dr. Jose Barreto. She received a Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2016 under Dr. Mark Wightman, studying adaptations in  in vivo catecholamine signaling. Meg then completed  postdoctoral training at the University of Maryland School of Medicine with Dr. Mary Kay Lobo in 2020, studying cell-type specific molecular mechanisms in stress and substance use.  Meg is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, and in the Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics at Penn State College of Medicine. 

Outside of the lab Meg enjoys traveling, playing music, creative vegetarian cooking, craft beer, and spending time with her cats Amstel, Juniper, and Siggi.  ​ 

PubMed Google Scholar Email 

Laura Murdaugh, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Scholar

Laura received her BS in Biology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2015, where she studied the neuroethology of reward and aggression via orexin in green anoles. She then worked as a research technician at the University of North Carolina under Dr. Scott Parnell, where she studied the teratogenic effects of prenatal alcohol and cannabinoid exposure in mice. In 2023 she completed her Ph.D. in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health from Virginia Tech, where she worked under Dr. Matt Buczynski to investigate  behavioral and cognitive changes associated with pain and addiction.

Laura joined the Fox lab in January 2025. Outside of lab Laura enjoys reading comics, playing video games, knitting, or sewing.

Alexandria (Allie) Ostman

PhD Candidate, Anatomy  

Allie completed her B.S. at Bloomsburg University in 2018 before joining the Buchkovich Lab as a Research Technician. During her three years in the lab, she contributed to virology research that resulted in two co-authored publications. 

She has been working in the Fox lab since 2023 where she is completing her PhD thesis on how ventral tegmental area amylin receptors mediate susceptibility to social stress. 

 In addition to her research, Alexandria is passionate about anatomy education and has experience teaching and mentoring medical, physician assistant, and graduate students in anatomy, neuroanatomy, histology, and embryology. 

Annalisa Montemarano

PhD Candidate, Neuroscience

Annalisa is a PhD student in the Neuroscience program at Penn State College of Medicine. She received her B.A. in Cell Biology & Neuroscience from Rutgers University in 2022, where she worked for four years as a research assistant for Dr. Mark West studying the effects of fentanyl addiction on neuroimmune functioning. 

Upon rotating in the Fox Lab in March 2023, she knew very early on that this would be the lab for her, and she is very excited to be completing her thesis work here. Outside the lab, Annalisa enjoys drawing, reading, and cooking.

Samiksha Pandey

 PhD Candidate, Neuroscience 

Samiksha is a Neuroscience PhD student at Penn State College of Medicine. She received an MSc in Integrative neuroscience from Otto Von Guericke University, Germany, in 2023. During her master's studies, she worked as a research assistant for 18 months in the neuropharmacology of emotional systems for Prof. Dr. Markus Fendt. Her master's thesis was on the Role of Anterior Cingulate Cortex Orexin in Attention, Impulsivity, and Affective State Discrimination. Samiksha joined the Fox Lab in May 2024.  She likes hiking, cooking, and reading in her free time. 

Meghan Hnilo

PhD Student, Neuroscience

Meghan is a Neuroscience PhD student at Penn State College of Medicine. In 2025, Meghan received her BS in cellular and molecular neuroscience from the University of Maryland. During her undergraduate studies, she worked as an undergraduate researcher under Dr. Juan Angueyra to investigate the influence of horizontal cell-photoreceptor interactions on early eye development in zebrafish. In March 2026, Meghan joined the Fox Lab and is increasingly excited to begin her thesis research to continue uncovering the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind addiction. In her free time, Meghan enjoys reading, gardening, and eating good food.

Arial Briones

Research Technician

Arial is a Research Technologist in the Fox Lab at Penn State College of Medicine. She graduated from Oregon State University in 2025 with a B.S. in Animal Sciences and Zoology.

In the Fox Lab, Arial supports projects studying stress and opioid-related behaviors using rodent models. Her work includes mouse colony management, genotyping, behavioral testing, and helping support day-to-day lab operations.

Before joining the Fox Lab, Arial worked in animal care, pathology, and medical documentation roles, which helped grow her interest in research and animal welfare. She enjoys learning more about how research is designed and hopes to continue developing her interests in animal care, research ethics, and neuroscience.

Work Email: abriones2@pennstatehealth.psu.edu 

Personal Email: AMBriones28@hotmail.com