Melissa Herman, PhD, and her lab recently published their research investigating the relationship between affective states and ethanol (EtOH) intake using male and female Sprague-Dawley rats in the journal Psychopharmacology. Dr. Herman and her team observed sex- and test- specific differences in basal affective behavior. In female rats only, depressive-like behavior predicted future EtOH intake, … Read more

Leslie Morrow, PhD, and her lab’s research was recently highlighted in an article published by the Wall Street Journal on postpartum depression in the United States. The article emphasizes the extensive range of challenges faced by new mothers in the U.S, including limited access to mental health services, rising healthcare costs, and therapist shortages. An … Read more

Laura Ornelas, PhD, has been selected to participate in the Neuroscience Data Blitz session during the 2023 National Hispanic Science Network (NHSN) conference this September in Washington, D.C. In addition, she received a Travel Award to attend the NHSN and will be presenting work from her NIAAA-funded K99 MOSAIC award. Dr. Ornelas is completing her … Read more

In an effort to improve safety and emergency preparedness, 11 BCAS faculty, staff, and postdocs received training and certification in Adult and Pediatric CPR/AED. The two-hour class was offered through UNC’s Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Workplace Safety section, and certification is through the American Red Cross. Classes are available for other UNC departments by … Read more

Meghan Flanigan, PhD, has recently accepted a new position as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Medical University of South Carolina. In this role, she will build upon her significant contributions to alcohol studies research at the Alcohol Research Center. She completed her post-doctoral training under the mentorship of Dr. Tom … Read more

BCAS faculty member Dr. Zoe McElligott, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, is teaming up with other UNC researchers to take on evolving drug supply issues — specifically, the addition of xylazine to fentanyl in drugs, which can lead to opioid overdose. Read the full story here.

Dr. Carol Dannenhoffer, a postdoctoral fellow at the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, started a new position as a program coordinator with UNC’s Chancellor’s Science Scholars (CSS) earlier this month. Dr. Dannenhoffer will serve as a mentor to talented undergraduate students pursuing careers in research, most of whom are from backgrounds historically excluded from STEM. … Read more

Congratulations to Dr. Ryan Vetreno, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and a member of the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, on receiving a grant award from the Foundation of Hope, an organization committed to supporting groundbreaking research on the biological, neurological, and genetic bases of mental illness and paving the way for improved treatment and diagnostic … Read more

BCAS postdoctoral research associate Karen Boschen has accepted a position as a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Neuroscience and Physiology at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY. Dr. Boschen, came to the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies in 2016 after receiving a PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience from the University of Delaware, and has been mentored … Read more

  Rajita Sinha, Ph.D., of Yale University has won the 2023 Bowles Award from the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies. She visited the Center on May 7 and 8 and presented a lecture entitled “Stress Neurocircuit Disruption Rescue to Improve Alcohol Binge and Relapse Outcomes.” Dr. Sinja is the Foundations Fund Endowed Professor in Psychiatry, … Read more