I’m Violet M. Kimble, Ph.D., a neuroscientist trained in the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program at Yale University. My work sits at the intersection of neuroendocrinology, metabolism, and substance use, with a focus on how biological state shapes vulnerability, behavior, and recovery.
My research examines how sex hormones, particularly estradiol, influence neural and behavioral responses during substance use and abstinence. In my doctoral work, I investigated how ovarian hormones interact with L-type calcium channel mechanisms to regulate cocaine-related behaviors, mood-related outcomes, and social behavior in female rats.
More recently, I have expanded this work into translational and clinical data science. Using OMOP-formatted electronic health record data, I study how metabolic dysfunction, including type 2 diabetes and obesity, predicts poor clinical recovery among hospitalized patients with substance use disorders. This work reflects my broader interest in developing bio-behavioral prediction frameworks that treat recovery as a dynamic, state-dependent process.
My training began with a B.S. in Neuroscience and a minor in Statistics from Drew University. Since then, I have worked across leading research environments, including Yale University, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, The Jackson Laboratory, and the University of Pennsylvania. My experience spans behavioral neuroscience, genomics, computational biology, single-cell analysis, and clinical data science.
In addition to research, I am passionate about teaching, mentorship, and scientific communication. I currently serve as External Communications Officer for the ACTS Scholar Special Interest Group , where I help amplify trainee voices and promote science communication within the translational research community.
Across my work, I am motivated by a central question: how do internal biological states shape behavior, risk, and recovery? Explore my site to learn more about my research, publications, presentations, and ongoing projects.