RFU Neuroscientist Secures $2.3 Million NIH Grant for Brain Study

Dr. Ferrara, an assistant professor of physiology and biophysics, is centering her five-year project on the basomedial amygdala. Her preliminary data suggest this specific region is uniquely vulnerable during the teenage years, potentially explaining why disruptions in social contact lead to long-term behavioral shifts, including withdrawal, aggression, and poor school performance. The study aims to move beyond total isolation models to examine how inconsistent social contact during critical development windows alters neural processing.

Janice Urban, who directs the Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders at RFU, noted that these findings are essential for designing clinical interventions. By identifying how social deprivation triggers maladaptive changes, researchers hope to create targeted therapies to address neuropsychiatric disorders before they become entrenched in early adulthood. The project integrates Ferrara’s ongoing work within the university’s Brain Science Institute, bridging the gap between social experience and biological maturation.