Debra Bangasser, professor of neuroscience at Georgia State University, has received the Daniel H. Efron Research Award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
Dr. Bangasser was honored for outstanding research on how stress alters the brain to increase the risk for substance use disorders, depression, and anxiety disorders. She also focuses her efforts on including women in clinical studies, as they have been historically underrepresented in neuroscience research.
In addition to her teaching appointment, Dr. Bangasser serves as a distinguished investigator with the Georgia Research Alliance, director of the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, and principal investigator of the Neuroendocrinology and Behavior Laboratory. She is a member of several professional organizations including the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society. Prior to joining the Georgia State University faculty, she was an associate professor and director of the program in neuroscience: systems, behavior, and plasticity at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Dr. Bangasser is a summa cum laude graduate of San Diego State University, where she majored in psychology with a minor in biology. She holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. in biopsychology and behavioral neuroscience from Rutgers University in New Jersey.