Debra Bangasser honored with prestigious research award

(Press-News.org) ATLANTA — Debra Bangasser, a professor of neuroscience and director of the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience (CBN) at Georgia State University, has been awarded the Daniel H. Efron Research Award by the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP).

The award recognizes outstanding basic research contributions to the field of neuropsychopharmacology, which integrates neuroscience and pharmacology to advance understanding of the causes of psychiatric disorders and develop new therapies. Bangasser’s research identifies how stress throughout the lifespan affects the brain to promote risk and resilience to changes in cognition and motivated behavior relevant to substance use disorder, major depression and anxiety.

In a press release announcing the award, the ACNP recognized Bangasser for her contributions to research, mentoring and advocacy.

“Dr. Bangasser has contributed fundamental work on the mechanisms of sex differences in the stress response, which has immense translational potential for improving women’s health and the treatment of affective, cognitive and substance use disorders,” the group said.

Bangasser is the university’s first distinguished investigator with the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA). She is also the principal investigator of the Neuroendocrinology and Behavior Laboratory.

As an international expert on the mechanisms underlying stress-induced pathology, Bangasser also leads research in the Georgia State Neuroscience Institute (NI). Bangasser’s research aims to deepen the understanding of the fundamental neuroscience mechanisms that drive stress responses in males and females. Females were historically excluded from basic research, so Bangasser addresses that gap by centering females in her research program. Her work sheds light on the sex differences observed in various stress-related disorders and helps explain why current treatments are not equally effective across all at-risk populations.

“Georgia State’s research community is deeply dedicated to making a real-world impact, and Dr. Bangasser’s work exemplifies that in many ways,” said Donald Hamelberg, interim vice president for research and economic development. “By expanding our core knowledge of the human brain, she is enhancing our understanding of ourselves, which is incredibly valuable.”

Two previous winners of the award have gone on to lead institutes at the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

“The ACNP community has facilitated collaborations and inspired new research directions, so I am honored to receive this award,” Bangasser said. “It reflects the creativity, dedication and scientific contributions of my lab members and collaborators.”

As director of the CBN at Georgia State, Bangasser oversees an award-winning, interdisciplinary research consortium that supports impactful research, collaboration and education in neuroscience. For more than two decades, the center has supported innovative research on the brain mechanism of social behavior and continues to inspire new generations of research scientists through outreach and education.

To learn more about the CBN, visit https://cbn-atl.org/.  For more information about Georgia State research, visit research.gsu.edu.

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