Edythe Danick London

Edythe Danick London, Ph.D., is a Professor-in-Residence at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, holding appointments in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and the Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology. She is the recipient of the Thomas P. and Katherine K. Pike Chair in Addictive Studies. Her academic training includes a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Maryland (1976) and postdoctoral training in Neuropsychopharmacology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (1979).

Dr. London's research focuses on neurobiological mechanisms of addiction, utilizing advanced neuroimaging and translational approaches. Her work spans nicotine dependence, methamphetamine use disorder, opioid addiction, and the neural correlates of emotion regulation. She investigates brain glutamate systems, dopamine receptor dynamics, and sex differences in substance use disorders.

Her recent publications emphasize neuroimaging biomarkers, neuromodulation therapies, and pharmacological interventions for addiction. Research themes include fMRI analysis of craving circuits, dopamine receptor availability, cognitive impacts of substance use, and hormonal influences on brain function.

Scientific Awards:

• AAAS Scientific Freedom & Responsibility Award (2011)
• UCLA Postdoctoral Mentoring Award (2016)
• H.W. Magoun Lectureship (2019)
• McLean Hospital Women in Science Lectureship (2020)
• Nathan B. Eddy Lifetime Achievement Award (2023)

Dr. London has led numerous NIH-funded projects, including studies on exercise-induced dopamine upregulation in methamphetamine users ($3.8M), cannabidiol for opioid relapse prevention ($2.1M), and sex differences in nicotine withdrawal neurobiology ($2.5M). She directs the UCLA Training Program in Translational Neuroscience of Drug Abuse (T32).

She leads the London Laboratory at UCLA, focusing on addiction neuroimaging and mentoring early-career scientists. Collaborative networks include the ENIGMA Addiction Working Group and multi-site clinical trials on neuromodulation therapies.