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John Andrews Distinguished Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Pharmacology Thomas Kash, PhD, has been named the new director of the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies.

Kash will begin his work in the role on Jan. 1, 2023. Kash joined the UNC School of Medicine and Bowles Center as a faculty member in 2009. His research focuses on regulation of brain circuitry that underlie alcohol use disorder and co-morbid conditions using pre-clinical models. His lab is one of the leaders in applying cutting edge approaches to study how molecules work in the context of discrete brain circuits.

“Dr. Kash has been a key leader in advancing the Bowles Center’s research initiatives and funding, and I am excited to see his vision and expertise come together to guide the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies going forward,” said UNC School of Medicine Vice Dean for Research Blossom Damania, PhD.

In September 2022, Fulton Crews, PhD, announced he was stepping back from his role as founding director of the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies. Crews served as the center’s director for 28 years, working with six UNC School of Medicine deans and helping to lead the center’s growth in research.

“I am honored to be the new director of the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies,” Kash said. “As someone who has been dedicated to studying the effects of alcohol for many years, I am excited to have the opportunity to lead the center and its talented team of researchers as we continue to work towards advancing our understanding of this complex and important topic.”