Sarah Schoenrock

Sarah Schoenrock, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Genetics at the UNC School of Medicine. She serves as Director of Research Project Management, providing strategic leadership for large team science grants. Her work focuses on grant development, project management, technical writing, and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations. Schoenrock holds a BS in Biology/Chemistry from Texas Women’s University, a PhD in Neuroscience from UNC Chapel Hill, and completed a postdoc in the Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction at UNC. She previously served as an adjunct Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Elon University (2018–2019).

Her research expertise spans addiction biology, genetic analysis, and epigenetic mechanisms. She has contributed to studies on mouse models investigating sex differences in addiction, genetic variation in behavioral responses, and the impact of environmental factors like nutrition and stress. Key projects include developing the MiniMUGA genotyping array and coordinating the NIDA Genomics Consortium.

Schoenrock’s grants include a 2021 $9.25M NHGRI UM1 grant (co-PI) for in vivo characterization of disease-associated regulatory variants. She has published over 25 peer-reviewed articles, with recent work appearing in journals like Genetics, Neuropharmacology, and Genes & Development. Collaborations involve the Neuroscience Center, Biostatistics Department, and interdisciplinary teams across UNC.