Jonathan P. Fadok

Jonathan P. Fadok is an Associate Professor holding the Burk-Kleinpeter Inc. Professorship in Science and Engineering at Tulane University's School of Science & Engineering. He also serves as a Research Neuroscientist at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He earned his Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Behavior from the University of Washington in 2010, supported by a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, followed by postdoctoral training at the Friedrich Miescher Institute in Switzerland.

His research investigates neuronal circuit mechanisms underlying emotional memory formation, fear responses, and adaptive behaviors. Key focus areas include:

• Brain-wide network interactions in learning
• Neural basis of defensive behaviors (freezing, flight, fight)
• Circuit dysfunctions in mental illness
• Sex differences in threat processing

Experimental approaches integrate large-scale in vivo recordings, optogenetics, chemogenetics, and calcium imaging.

Publications consistently explore fear/anxiety neurocircuitry, with recent emphasis on central amygdala function, midbrain defensive circuits, and dopamine's role in aversive learning. Methodological innovation is a hallmark, including novel behavioral paradigms for studying threat responses.

Awards and honors include:

• European Molecular Biology Organization Fellowship
• Brain and Behavior Research Foundation Grant
• Marko Spark Innovation Award
• Lavin-Bernick Grant

He leads an active research lab with 7 PhD students/postdocs investigating fear conditioning, neuromodulation, and neural circuitry. Major funding sources include NIH, Louisiana Board of Regents, and endowed professorships. The lab emphasizes inclusive research environments and open science communication.