Sherry Serdikoff

Biography

I was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, where I also attended college. After earning my B.A. in psychology from Temple University, I entered the Behavior Analysis graduate program in the Psychology Department at West Virginia University (WVU, Morgantown, WV), where I earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. During my time at WVU, my research interests focused on experimental analysis and laboratory research with nonhumans, but I also was able to gain applied behavior analysis experience in the area of organizational behavior management. While completing my graduate degrees, I was introduced to and intrigued by the rapidly growing field of behavioral pharmacology. To gain training and experience in behavioral pharmacology before securing a faculty position, I completed two years as a post-doctoral fellow at the National Institute on Drug Abuse Addiction Research Center in Baltimore, MD, and one year as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Center for Studies of Addiction.

Research Interest

In humans: • applied behavior analysis research on empirically supported pedagogy in higher-education • behavioral pharmacology (drug discrimination and reinforcer efficacy) • contingency management interventions for reducing unhealthy behaviors (e.g., smoking) and increasing healthy behaviors (e.g., exercise) • choice, judgment, and decision-making In rats: • basic and translational research questions with theoretical importance in the experimental analysis of behavior and behavioral pharmacology (choice, discriminative functions of drugs, and resistance to change) • laboratory models of psychopathology (ADHD, Depression, and Anxiety).