Jeffrey Edwards

Jeffrey Edwards is a Professor in the Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology at Brigham Young University and serves as Director of the Neuroscience Center. His research focuses on synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus and ventral tegmental area (VTA), linking these mechanisms to learning, memory, stress, PTSD, Alzheimer’s disease, and drug addiction (e.g., psychedelics, morphine, THC).

• Key Awards: Phi Kappa Phi Distinguished Faculty Lecturer (2019), Graduate Mentoring Award (2018), NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship (2005), and multiple travel/stress-related neuroscience honors.
• Research Trends: Recent publications (2021-2025) explore how drugs like LSD, THC, and cocaine alter VTA and hippocampal plasticity, epigenetic changes in morphine addiction, and metabolic interventions (e.g., ketogenic diets) to enhance cognitive function.
• Grants: NIH R15NS078645 supported studies on stress-exercise interactions in hippocampal plasticity.
• Collaborations: Active in international HIV research in Trinidad, investigating telehealth applications and vaccination behaviors during the pandemic.