My goal is to establish an independent research career aimed at understanding the endogenous opioid systems to defeat addiction, ameliorate affective disorders, and relieve chronic pain. I intend to do this by three primary means: 1) groundbreaking biological research in my own independent laboratory, 2) collaborative efforts with academia and industry partners to advance both our tools and our knowledge, and 3) training the next generation of research scientists. Throughout my career, I have maintained steady determination to build my scientific and leadership expertise to be well prepared to guide an independent laboratory and mentor trainees.