معرفی
Christine Rabinak is an Associate Professor and currently serves as the Interim Associate Dean for Research at Wayne State University's Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. She holds multiple academic appointments including Graduate Faculty in the School of Medicine and Graduate School's Translational Neuroscience Program, and Adjunct Assistant Professor positions in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences.
Her educational background includes an M.B.A. in Management from Wayne State University (2024), a Ph.D. in Biological Psychology from the University of Michigan (2009), an M.S. in Biological Psychology from the University of Michigan (2006), and a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Iowa (2004).
Rabinak's research focuses on the behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms of aversive learning and memory, threat perception, and emotion regulation, with particular emphasis on cannabinoid involvement during fear extinction learning and retention. She investigates biomarkers of PTSD and anxiety disorders and explores the (endo)cannabinoid system as a pharmacological target for PTSD treatment. Her work bridges basic neuroscience with clinical applications, particularly in trauma-exposed populations.
Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong trajectory in cannabinoid research, particularly examining THC's effects on fear extinction, neural circuitry in PTSD, and genetic variations in the endocannabinoid system. Her work increasingly incorporates advanced methodologies including fMRI, virtual reality paradigms, and genetic analyses, with growing focus on pediatric and adolescent populations.
- 2024 - Wiley, Journal of Neuroscience Research, Top Cited Article 2022-2023
- 2021 - Nominated for WSU Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award
- 2020 - Competitive Graduate Research Award, Wayne State University
- 2019 - Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentorship Award
- 2018 - College Research Day Junior Faculty Research Award
- 2018 - Elected Associate Member to American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
Rabinak has successfully mentored numerous students and postdoctoral researchers, with several holding prestigious predoctoral fellowships. She leads significant research funding including a $8.2 million Veteran Marijuana Research Grant Program from the State of Michigan's Cannabis Regulatory Agency and multiple NIH grants totaling over $10 million in direct costs. Her laboratory, the Translational Neuropsychopharmacology Lab, focuses on bridging basic neuroscience findings with clinical applications for trauma-related disorders.
