Valeria González
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Psychology Department
Division of Philosophy, Religion, Psychology, and Linguistics
I am a behavioral neuroscientist with a broad interest in how animals make decisions. I received a B.S. in psychology from University of Chile in Santiago, Chile; and a Ph.D. in basic psychology from University of Minho in Braga, Portugal. After graduation, I spent some time in sunny southern California working as a postdoc in Dr. Blaisdell and Dr. Izquierdo lab at UCLA. My research focuses on understanding the fundamentals and common mechanisms of 'rational' or 'irrational' behaviors. Taking advantage of the intersection of my training in psychology, ecology and neuroscience, I applied a multilevel approach to study the brain and behavior across species. At Reed, I investigate how decisions are made involving risk and information-seeking, and how the use of alcohol affects decision-making (for more information, visit my lab website). My courses include PSY 201 Methods in psychology: Brain & Behavior, PSY 333 Behavioral Neuroscience, PSY 218 Neuroscience & Ethics, and PSY 338 Psychopharmacology