Fereshteh S. Nugent

Dr. Fereshteh S. Nugent is a tenured Professor at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), affiliated with the School of Medicine and the Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics. Her research focuses on the effects of early life stress and traumatic brain injury on synaptic plasticity, reward pathways, and neuropsychiatric disorders.

• Education: Ph.D. in Neurophysiology (2003), Tarbiat Modarres University; Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neuroscience, Brown University (2003–2008).

Dr. Nugent’s work examines how early life trauma and mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) alter reward and motivational circuits. Her lab employs advanced techniques such as slice electrophysiology, optogenetics, chemogenetics, and viral-based tracing to dissect molecular, synaptic, and circuit mechanisms underlying drug addiction and neuropsychiatric disorders. Current projects explore novel antidepressants and the role of GABAergic synapses in stress-related pathologies.

Dr. Nugent’s publications (e.g., on lateral habenula dysfunction in mTBI, ketamine’s reversal of synaptic deficits, and corticotrophin-releasing factor modulation) highlight her expertise in neuropharmacology and synaptic neuroscience. Her work bridges molecular and behavioral analyses to address traumatic brain injury and addiction.

• Scientific Awards: Henry C. Wu Award (2019), three USU Dean Impact Awards (2015, 2018, 2019).

Dr. Nugent actively mentors students and postdoctoral fellows, including participants in the NIDA Summer Research Internship Program, and contributes to editorial boards of journals like Frontiers in Synaptic Neuroscience and Communications Biology.