Alan Llavore | Office of Marketing and Communications | (909) 537-5007 | allavore@csusb.edu
Luis Gonzalez came to Cal State San Bernardino intrigued by a field he knew little about. Years later, that curiosity has taken the first-generation college student from undergraduate research labs to conference stages, a peer-reviewed publication and a growing list of awards, experiences he believes other students can find if they are willing to seek them out.
Now pursuing a master’s degree in psychological science with a concentration in behavioral and cognitive neuroscience, Gonzalez has made research a defining part of his CSUSB education. He has studied subjects ranging from sleep and circadian rhythms to psychostimulants and nicotine, while gaining the kind of experience he hopes will prepare him for doctoral study and a career connecting neuroscience with public policy.
For students considering research or graduate school, Luis said one of the most important lessons from his experience is not to underestimate what is available to them at CSUSB.
“These are opportunities that we cannot take for granted because this school provides so many opportunities,” he said, adding that CSUSB gives students research experiences that allow them to grow. “We produce a lot of good research.”
That opportunity was part of what brought him to San Bernardino in the first place.
He contacted professors, learned more about the field and came away believing he would find support and opportunities at CSUSB.
“I had a sense that there was this support, that I knew that I was going to have so many chances here,” Luis said. “I don't regret it.”
He earned his bachelor’s degree in biological psychology from CSUSB in 2024 and remained at the university for graduate school. As an undergraduate, he joined the laboratory of psychology professor Leslie Amodeo, working on studies involving drugs and activity patterns in adolescent and adult rodent models. As a graduate research assistant, he expanded work to studies involving methylphenidate, nicotine, alcohol and compounds related to sleep and motivated behavior. His master’s thesis examines early methylphenidate exposure and its effects on adult attention and sleep-wake patterns using an ADHD rodent model.
For Gonzalez, the opportunity to work closely with faculty has been particularly valuable. He described the mentor-student relationship as one of the strengths of the CSUSB experience, saying regular access to faculty gives students opportunities to ask questions, pursue new projects and develop as researchers.
“I get to chat with my mentor every single day,” he said. “I could chat with them, and they in turn could help me grow. They’re there to support you.”
His research eventually expanded beyond the laboratory. As a scholar in CSUSB’s Smoke and Tobacco Outreach and Prevention Scholars program, or STOPS, Luis received training in tobacco-related health disparities and tobacco control. The experience helped lead to his first peer-reviewed paper, “Nicotine Pouches: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing,” under the guidance of Theodore C. Friedman (listed as co-author) and published in Tobacco Prevention & Cessation in spring 2026.
Writing the paper taught him about more than nicotine pouches. Gonzalez said the process locating research, evaluating evidence, preparing a manuscript and submitting it for publication, gave him a better understanding of how high-level research works. It also showed him the importance of communicating science beyond an academic audience.
That ability to communicate complex research has paid off at conferences and competitions. A list of his experience includes numerous honors in 2025 and 2026, including awards at CSUSB’s Meeting of the Minds Student Research Symposium, the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program Grand Slam and the CSU statewide student research competition, finalist in the CSU Statewide 3 Minute Thesis Competition, earned 2nd Best graduate paper and oral presentation honors at the 50th and 51st CSU Social Science Student Symposium,in both 2025 and 2026. He earned second place for best graduate paper and oral presentation for his work on methylphenidate, attention and sleep-wake cycles. He said translating technical neuroscience for a nonexpert, interdisciplinary audience was an important part of the presentation. In 2026, a significant milestone came when Luis received CSUSB Outstanding Graduate Student Researcher Award based on his research accomplishments, faculty recommendation, academic achievement and extracurricular involvement.
The accomplishments carry additional meaning for Gonzalez as a first-generation college student. His parents came from Mexico and, he said, valued education even though they did not fully understand the educational system he was learning to navigate. As the oldest child, he sees earning his degree as setting a different precedent for his family.
“It really means a lot to me being a first gen,” Gonzalez said. For him, being first generation can become a source of motivation – a reason to persist and “break those generational chains.”
Luis now plans to pursue a doctorate in neuroscience or psychology and is interested in eventually working in science policy. Research, he said, has convinced him that science can influence policy and help address problems such as mental health and addiction.
But before moving on, he wants other CSUSB students – including those who may not yet picture themselves as researchers or graduate students – to recognize the possibilities around them. That requires accepting that research can be difficult and that failure is part of learning, he said. It also requires taking the first opportunity.
“We learn by doing it,” Luis said. “As scientists, we do more than grow in knowledge and sharpen our skills: we learn to see possibility where others see limits. Every question invites us to explore, every mistake teaches us to rethink, and every discovery reminds us how much there is still to learn. Our greatest strength is not having all the answers, but finding the courage to keep asking, keep learning, and turn curiosity into discoveries.”