Rebecca Craft, Ph.D.

Greetings from the Inland Northwest. I've been at WSU since 1993. The research gets better every year, in large measure due to the high degree of intelligence, creativity, motivation and hard work of the students in my lab.  I came to WSU from Silver Spring, Maryland, via North Carolina (graduate training at UNC-Chapel Hill) and Arizona (post-doctoral training at U of AZ).

Email Dr. Craft

Alexa Wakley, M.S.

Alexa is currently a doctoral student in the lab, having completed her M.S. and B.S. degrees at Idaho State University. At WSU, she has completed studies examining cannabinoid-opioid interactions in male rats, sex differences in THC's effects, and estrous cycle modulation of THC sensitivity in female rats. She is currently working on her dissertation examining ovarian hormone modulation of THC-induced analgesia and brain cannabinoid receptor density.

Alexa came to WSU from Pocatello, Idaho.

Photo: Alexa in her favorite hangout, the lab.

Seth Davis, M.S.

Seth is currently a doctoral student in the lab, having completed his M.S. at Western IL University in 2009, and his B.S. at McMinnville College (Linfield, OR) in 2007.  Seth is working on multiple projects, including sex differences in cannabinoid receptor mediation of THC's analgesic effects, gonadal steroid modulation of morphine's analgesic effects against chronic inflammatory pain, and sex differences in morphine place preference in normal vs. chronic pain states.

Seth originally hails from central Oregon.

Photo: Seth in the lab, demonstrating how to remain endlessly cheerful and relaxed-looking despite the many demands of graduate school.

Aaron Haas, M.S.

Aaron completed his M.S. degree in 2012 at Morehead State University (KY) and his B.S. at Charleston Southern University (SC) in 2010.  He arrived here in the Inland NW in August 2012.  Aaron is new to pain research but has already written two grant proposals, and is currently conducting a study examining sex differences in NSAID analgesia.

Aaron hails from South Carolina.

Photo: Aaron in the lab.  Does he look tired yet?

Julie Stratmann Krivsky, Ph.D.

Julie was the first Ph.D. student to graduate from the Craft Lab -- she finished in 2001. Julie worked on everything during her time in the lab; in fact, the whole enterprise wouldn't have gotten off the ground without her. Julie currently teaches psychology at WSU.

Julie came to WSU from Kirksville, Missouri.

Photo: luckily, Julie (AKA Dr. Ornithophobia) never had to run any experiments with pigeons...

Scott A. Bernal, M.S.

Scott earned his M.S. in Experimental Psychology in 2000. He now lives in southern CA with his daughter. Scott was the best computer guru we ever had; among other things, he created these beautiful web pages.

Scott came to WSU from Southern California.

Photo: Alan (left) and Scott (right) take a break from brain overload at INRC'99

Erin C. Stoffel, Ph.D.

Erin completed her doctoral degree in 2004; she studied the effects of post-partum hormone withdrawal on depression- and anxiety-like behaviors in female rats. She progressed to studying impulsivity and psychostimulant abuse in the laboratory of Dr. Kathryn Cunningham at U of TX Medical Branch in Galveston, and thereafter was an assistant professor of psychology at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. Erin is now in Houston, TX with her family.

Erin came to WSU from a dairy farm somewhere in the wilds of Wisconsin.

Photo: Erin's dream house, Colorado Springs, April 2001

Alan H. Tseng, Ph.D.

Alan completed his doctoral dissertation in 2002; he initiated the study of sex differences in cannabinoid behavioral pharmacology in the Craft lab. Multi-talented, Alan is now a web developer in western WA, where he lives with his wife and son.

Alan came to WSU from the great state of California.

Photo: Alan on a rare day outside the lab (Oregon coast?)

Rory E. Bartok, M.S.

Rory completed her masters thesis on sex differences in opioid analgesia in 1996. She subsequently became an art therapist (all of the best scientific (and other) illustrations in the lab were signed RB), and is now a research associate at the University of Massachusetts.

Rory came to WSU from Pennsylvania.

Photo: Rory with woman's best friends, Chowdah and Loki.

Jean E. Sumner, M.S.

Jean completed her M.S. in 2005; she examined testosterone modulation of males' sensitivity to pain and analgesia. Jean is currently employed as an undergraduate advisor at Trinidad State Community College in Colorado.

Jean came to WSU from Houston, Texas.

Photo: Jean (left) and Beezer take a break from poster presentations at Pharm/Tox Day, 2004.

Karen Gerde, M.S.

Karen completed a master's degree in Pharmacology/Toxicology, in the summers between attending Pharmacy School at WSU. Karen's research focused on determining the effects of ovarian hormone withdrawal on post-partum anxiety in females. Karen recently completed a PharmD degree in Spokane, WA, and works as a pharmacist.

Karen came to WSU from Fairbanks, Alaska.

Photo: Karen (left) at the "white coat ceremony" for new pharmacy students, in Fall 2007.

Kim Tsutsui, M.S.

Kim completed her M.S. degree in Spring, 2010; her master's research was on anabolic-androgenic steroid effects on pain and analgesia in males. She also collaborated on an investigation of sex differences in cannabinoid analgesia. Kim now techs in research lab at the University of MD. 

Kim came to WSU from Hilo, Hawaii.

Photo: Kim at a conference from her undergraduate days, rubbing elbows with the famous social psychologist Dr. Philip Zimbardo.