Dr. Debra Ann Fadool

Dr. Debra Ann Fadool, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Biological Science.

Dr. Fadool earned her doctorate at the University of Florida and Whitney Laboratory in 1993. She is researching olfactory signal transduction as well as conducting research with learning, memory, and neural plasticity at the level of the ion channel protein through electrophysiology.

Her work explores how diet-induced obesity can affect brain circuitry and electrical signaling of neurons.  Most recently she received special funding from the medical marijuana consortium of the state of Florida (MMJCOR), where she is testing how CBD (cannabidiol) affects obsessive compulsive behavior, anxiety, ADHD, and ingestive behaviors in mice.  Even though you can find CBD at every gas station, infused in beer at local establishments, and while waiting in line at Esposito’s, little scientific research has been performed to demonstrate its effect to change behavior or which of the purported 70 targets it may activate in the nervous system.

She is also testing if there are fetal developmental changes in mice administered CBD during pregnancy and how this might change anxiety-like behaviors as an adult.