Ansel Hillmer, PhD

Ansel obtained his Ph.D. in Medical Physics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 2014. His dissertation focused on characterizing a novel PET radioligand to image α4β2* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Ansel is using PET imaging to study the neurochemistry of addiction and psychiatric disorders, with a particular interest alcohol dependence and substance use disorders. Current projects include using PET to image the glutamate system via mGluR5 receptors in alcohol dependent patients; neuroimmune function via TSPO in alcohol dependent patients; endogenous opioid signalling in the context of cannabis use; and method development for integrating PET imaging data with fMRI connectivity data.