Michael Drew

Michael Drew is a Professor and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education at the University of Texas at Austin, affiliated with the Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Programs within the College of Natural Sciences. His research focuses on understanding how the hippocampus forms and retrieves episodic memories, particularly in fear-related contexts, using genetic tools in mice. He has held postdoctoral fellowships at Columbia University (2004-2010) and earned a Ph.D. there in 2004.

Dr. Drew’s work spans molecular biology, electrophysiology, and behavior, with a focus on neurogenesis, fear memory extinction, and stress effects on learning. He has received numerous awards, including the Regent’s Outstanding Teaching Award (2016), President’s Associates Teaching Excellence Award (2020), and NIH grants like the NIMH Pathway to Independence Award (2008-2013). His lab investigates mechanisms of memory storage and retrieval, with implications for anxiety and stress-related disorders.

His research highlights contributions of adult-born neurons to fear memory modulation and the role of hippocampal engrams in extinction and relapse. Collaborative studies with institutions like Columbia University and UT Austin have advanced understanding of neural circuits involved in learning and stress responses. Dr. Drew also emphasizes translational research, linking neurobiological findings to clinical applications in mental health.