Alicia Locker is a behavioral neuroscientist at RAND. Specializing in the intersection of mental health and military service, her research interests encompass a broad range of topics, including mental health in service members and veteran populations, resiliency, caregiver support, military readiness, and the applications of biotechnology, biometrics, and artificial intelligence within these contexts. Locker has a robust background in addressing traumatic brain injury in veterans, enhancing military medical transport, and improving soldier performance and military mental health and wellness. Her recent work has focused on Department of Defense initiatives aimed at mitigating harmful behaviors within military services through the implementation of targeted prevention efforts. Previously, Locker served under an Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) at the Office of Biometric and Identity Management within the Department of Homeland Security, where she acted as a liaison to academic researchers in the field of biometrics and represented the Office of Biometric and Identity Management at the European Association for Biometrics and other international collaborations. Locker earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience from Pennsylvania State University, where she investigated the neurobiological underpinnings of drug use in adolescents. Following her doctoral studies, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health/Centers for Disease Control, focusing on potential causes and treatments for Gulf War Illness in veterans. Additionally, she has contributed to research at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, examining pathways associated with cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia.
Ph.D. in neuroscience, Penn State University; B.S. in neuroscience, Allegheny College
Academic Engagement Specialist at Office of Biometric and Identity Management - Department of Homeland Security
