Michael Wesley

In his third year (07/01/2019 – 06/30/2020) as a regular title series Assistant Professor in the Department of Behavioral Science (Behavioral Science) and as Director of the Neurobehavioral Systems Lab (NSL) of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine (UK COM), Dr. Wesley continued to implement the work proposed in his three extramurally funded research awards, one as principal investigator (PI) and two as multiple principal investigator (MPI). Dr. Wesley also continued to grow the transdisciplinary and collaborative relationships of the NSL by serving as co-investigator (Co-I) on one extramurally funded research award, as Co-I on one extramural grant submission, and as MPI on one extramural grant submission. Simultaneously, Dr. Wesley continued his teaching and mentoring efforts of medical students, undergraduate students, and junior faculty peers. Dr. Wesley engaged in local and national service efforts as well as career and professional development opportunities. Consistent with collaborative work, Dr. Wesley was joint appointed as faculty in the Department of Psychiatry of UK COM and in the Department of Psychology of the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences (UK A&S).   

Dr. Wesley’s primary research effort is supported by three extramural grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Dr. Wesley’s career development and training award (K01 DA043652) examines the neural mechanisms of cannabinoid-impaired decision making in emerging adults. This project integrates rigorous methodological techniques from clinical pharmacology with innovative technologies from neuroscience, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). His MPI awards (R01 DA045023; R01 DA047368) are reciprocal translational projects together with Drs. Josh Lile (COM, Behavioral Science) and Josh Beckmann (UK A&S, Psychology). These projects combine animal and human models of addiction with neuroimaging and computational reinforcement learning models of behavior to examine dynamic choice related to cocaine and opioid use disorders. Dr. Wesley continued his involvement as Co-I on a fourth award (R01 DA036550) examining the possible pharmacological agents for cannabis dependence. Dr. Wesley submitted two additional extramural grants that are currently under review, one as MPI (R21 AA028502 with Drs. Mark Fillmore and Jessica Weafer of UK A&S, Psychology) and one as Co-I (R21 DA049130 with Dr. Bill Stoops, UK COM, Behavioral Science). Dr. Wesley served as co-author on a consensus manuscript published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (Impact Factor: 8.33) on the use of noninvasive brain stimulation in addiction medicine. He also served as senior author and co-author on two primary research manuscript submissions with first-author trainees Dr. Aaron Smith and Holly Allen, respectively. Dr. Wesley served as senior author on two scientific posters presented at the virtual conference of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) in June 2020. Dr. Wesley also presented his research in an invited Grand Rounds lecture in the Department of Psychiatry in UK COM. Lastly, Dr. Wesley developed and implemented the NSL’s remote work plan associated with the COVID-19 pandemic to help ensure the safety of NSL staff and trainees while maintaining research productivity.     

In terms of teaching and mentoring, Dr. Wesley was Preceptor to first-year medical students enrolled in his Introduction to Clinical Medicine (ICM; MD 811) class offered by Behavioral Science in UK COM. He was also Outside Examiner on the Dissertation Committee of Dr. Aaron Smith (UK A&S, Psychology), and continued to serve as an Advisory Committee Member to Catherine Troop in the Ph.D. program of the Department of Early Childhood, Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling in the UK College of Education. Dr. Wesley continued his mentoring of Dr. Aaron Smith by hosting him as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the NSL and supporting his successful application on a drug abuse training grant (T32 DA035200). Dr. Wesley hosted one graduate student and one medical student for research training opportunities in the NSL (Holley C. Allen, UK A&S, Psychology; Cody Sutphin, UK COM). He also mentored Skylar Mays, an engineering undergraduate student, enrolled in the Independent Work in Neuroscience class (BIO 395). Finally, Dr. Wesley helped mentor two junior faculty members in experimental design and grant writing strategies, including Dr. Gopalkumar Rakesh of UK COM Psychiatry and Dr. Geetanjali Gera in the Department of Physical Therapy of the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences. Relatedly, Dr. Wesley will serve as Co-I on an extramural grant submission in 2021 with Dr. Rakesh.    

Dr. Wesley continued his involvement in the career development and training activities supported by his career development and training award (K01 DA043652) and engaged in additional professional development opportunities offered at UK. He continued receiving senior faculty mentorship in good clinical practices in research, with an emphasis on his clinical pharmacology and noninvasive brain stimulation work. He also attended training and educational seminars hosted by the UK Office of the Vice President for Research (UK VPR) on implicit bias, responsible conduct of research, and research misconduct. 

In terms of local service, Dr. Wesley began a three-year commitment serving on the Biomedical and Education Committee of UK COM. He also joined the Stress and Wellness Committee of Behavioral Science. He also served as an ad hoc grant reviewer for the UK Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS). Dr. Wesley served as organizer and moderator for an education session titled, Success Stories: Insights from a Panel of Early Career Faculty Members on How to Launch a Productive Research Program hosted by UK VPR’s office. He also served as a member of the new Cognitive Neuroscience Group in the Department of Psychology in UK A&S. In terms of national service, Dr. Wesley was as ad-hoc reviewer on eight manuscripts submitted to Addiction Biology, Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, NeuroImage, PLOS One, and Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging.