Patricio is a first-year graduate student in the Department of Psychology at Florida International University, specializing in Cognitive Neuroscience. He completed his B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Texas at Dallas and graduated with major honors. Patricio is interested in understanding how substance use influences the structural and functional connectivity between brain regions and how that affects higher cognitive functions using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) techniques. He is currently working on the Antecedents and Consequences of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ACE) Project, which examines the risk and protective factors leading to electronic nicotine systems (ENDS) usage among teenagers, alongside the impact of ENDS usage on the developing brain.