October 24, 2025
Meet our new faculty: Caitlin Madison
Caitlin Madison, psychology | Photo by Rick Smith
My research focuses on: Broadly my research uses animal models to focus on individual differences in the trajectory of substance use disorder and affective disorders. The differences I have examined in the past and plan to continue to study are sex differences, sociability and personality differences, and differences in exposure to stress and trauma.
The underlying reason for this kind of research is that understanding individual differences in the context of mental health disorders will help us to create better treatments and prevention strategies. My graduate research initially centered around social “personalities” in mice and how mice with varied levels of sociability were differentially affected by opioid drugs; more outgoing mice seemed to “like” opioids more, while opioids increased pain and anxiety sensitivity in the more socially reserved mice. Midway through my Ph.D. program, my research took a sharp turn to focus on chronic stress, sex differences, and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) as they relate to affective disorders such as major depressive disorder (a.k.a. depression). The AhR is a promising target for treating depression in females, but the same treatments increase anxiety in males. I’m excited to start my research program at Lafayette, and I plan to continue uncovering fascinating effects of individual differences.
This fall I am teaching: Physiological Psychology II lecture and labs
What students can expect from me: Students can always expect me to treat each of them with the same respect with which I want to be treated. I will always be honest with my students even if it means embarrassing myself because I don’t know the answer to a question, and they can expect that if I don’t know the answer, we will be figuring it out together! In fact, one of my favorite things to do in class is to use logic to come up with an answer together and then look it up as a class to see if we were correct.
My approach to teaching is holistic in that I strive to elucidate connections to the world outside my classroom, including not only other academic subjects but also everyday experiences, so I encourage my students to be curious beyond the course material. Finally, my students should expect me to attempt to be humorous in every lecture, so they should be prepared for potential cringe moments.
Getting to know me: My favorite hobby is sewing. I once worked in costuming at a musical production company; my favorite show to costume was Sweeney Todd. Now, I like to make custom clothing and costumes for myself, my friends, and my family. I’m also a big nerd at heart. I love to play games—be they tabletop or video. Cooperative games are my favorite because I love teamwork!
