Heather E. Webber

Dr. Heather E. Webber is an Assistant Professor at the Center for Neurobehavioral Research on Addiction (CNRA) within the Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston). She earned her doctorate in psychology with a concentration in cognitive neuroscience from the University of South Florida in 2017 and joined UTHealth Houston initially as a postdoctoral research fellow, where she received the Dean's Award for Excellence in Postdoctoral Research.

Dr. Webber's research focuses on the neural mechanisms of motivation, reward sensitivity, emotional functioning, trauma, and sleep as they relate to addiction. She employs human electrophysiological methods, particularly event-related potentials (ERPs), to investigate how these processes contribute to substance use disorders. Her current NIH-funded work aims to identify ERP targets for brain stimulation to develop new treatments for cocaine and other substance use disorders.

Her publication record demonstrates significant contributions to the field, with over 25 peer-reviewed articles focusing on electrophysiological biomarkers in addiction, reward processing, and the neural mechanisms underlying substance use disorders. Her work frequently employs meta-analytic approaches to synthesize findings across studies.

Scientific Recognition:

• Dean's Award for Excellence in Postdoctoral Research Award
• NIDA K01 Award recipient for research on event-related potential targets for brain stimulation
• Active research program with significant NIH funding

As an early-career faculty member, Dr. Webber is enthusiastic about training the next generation of scientists and has mentored several visiting undergraduate and medical students. Her research program bridges basic cognitive neuroscience with clinical applications, aiming to translate neurophysiological findings into novel treatment approaches for substance use disorders. The Center for Neurobehavioral Research on Addiction provides a collaborative environment for her work, connecting basic science with clinical treatment development.