Joseph Jacobson

Joseph Jacobson is a Professor of Psychiatry at Wayne State University School of Medicine, specializing in the neurodevelopmental effects of prenatal alcohol exposure and environmental contaminants. His research program focuses on understanding how prenatal exposure to alcohol and environmental toxins such as PCBs, mercury, and lead affect infant and child development, with particular emphasis on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).

Dr. Jacobson's research interests include the effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol and environmental contaminants on infant and child development, research methods, and study design. His work spans multiple disciplines including teratology, neurotoxicology, developmental neuroscience, and neuroimaging. He has conducted extensive research on fetal alcohol syndrome, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, ADHD, and alcohol abuse and dependence, primarily using human subjects in his investigations.

His methodological approach combines neuropsychological assessment with advanced neuroimaging techniques including structural MRI, functional MRI, and diffusion tensor imaging. Dr. Jacobson's recent publications (2020-2025) demonstrate a consistent focus on FASD, environmental contaminants, neurodevelopmental outcomes, and statistical methods for analyzing complex exposure data. His work frequently examines the relationship between prenatal exposures and brain structure/function, with particular attention to iron homeostasis, choline supplementation, and placental development.

Dr. Jacobson maintains key collaborations with Sandra W. Jacobson (on all studies), Christopher Molteno and Ernesta Meintjes (Cape Town neuroimaging and neurobehavioral studies), and Gina Muckle (Inuit studies). These international collaborations have enabled comprehensive investigations across diverse populations exposed to different environmental contaminants.

He teaches PYC7150 - Fundamentals of Neuropsychiatric Disorders at Wayne State University, demonstrating his commitment to educating the next generation of clinicians and researchers in the field of neuropsychiatry and developmental disorders.