Allyson Friedman

Dr. Allyson Friedman serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences within Hunter College's School of Arts and Sciences at the City University of New York. She leads the Friedman Laboratory, which focuses on cellular neurophysiology and behavior research with significant contributions to understanding neural circuit mechanisms underlying social behaviors and affective disorders.

Dr. Friedman's educational background includes:

• Postdoctoral Fellowship at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• Ph.D. from Mount Sinai School of Medicine of New York University
• B.A. from Barnard College, Columbia University

Her research program investigates the neural circuits and neuroadaptations that mediate social behaviors, with particular emphasis on how affective disorders manifest as social dysfunction. The Friedman Laboratory explores how diverse coping strategies, sex hormones, and social support can induce changes in the underlying neural circuits guiding social behaviors. This research aims to identify beneficial and pathological neural adaptations that could lead to new therapeutic targets for mood and anxiety disorders. Dr. Friedman employs cutting-edge methodologies including cell-type/circuit specific in vitro electrophysiological recordings, viral-mediated gene transfer, and optogenetic manipulations in animal models to examine neural adaptations from the level of ion channels through to behavioral outcomes.

Her publication record demonstrates consistent focus on stress response mechanisms, social behaviors, and mood disorders across multiple disciplines including neuroscience, psychiatry, pharmacology, and endocrinology. A recurring theme is the exploration of sex differences in neural responses to stress and their implications for affective disorders, with particular emphasis on the ventral tegmental area, amygdala, bed nucleus of stria terminalis, and related neural circuits. Her most recent work (2023) continues to advance understanding of how hormonal fluctuations influence neural excitability and social behavior under stress conditions.

Dr. Friedman leads an active research laboratory at Hunter College with ongoing projects including 'Cell type specific mechanisms of stress adaptation in the bed nucleus of stria terminalis and the ventral tegmental area' and 'Neuropathophysiological Mechanisms of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD).' Her laboratory appears to be well-integrated with the CUNY Neuroscience Collaborative and Hunter College's Biology department resources.