Our Founders
Dr. Ethan Anderson (co-founder) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston. Dr. Anderson has studied the maladaptive plastic effects of drugs of abuse like alcohol, cocaine, and opioids on the brain for more than 12 years.
Brief Bio:
Dr. Anderson earned his B.S. in Psychology from the University of Florida in 2008 and his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Florida in 2012. Prior to his faculty appointment, he performed postdoctoral training at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, NY; the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, TX, and at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC. Dr. Anderson studies epigenetic and cell signaling mechanisms in the brain that underlie symptoms of substance use disorder and alcohol use disorder. He focuses on molecular interventions in the nucleus accumbens that reduce drug-taking and drug-seeking behaviors.
Contact: ethan.anderson.phd@gmail.com
See his profiles below for more information:
Dr. Christopher Cowan (co-founder) is Professor and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston, and he holds the William E. Murray SmartState Endowed Chair in Neuroscience. Dr. Cowan is a recognized leader in preclinical substance use disorder research.
Brief Bio:
Dr. Cowan earned his B.A. from Wesleyan University (CT) and his Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from Baylor College of Medicine. He completed his postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital in the area of molecular neurobiology. Prior to joining MUSC in 2016, Dr. Cowan was an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at UT Southwestern Medical School, and then an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital. Dr. Cowan’s academic research lab focuses on epigenetic mechanisms in substance use disorder and gene transcriptional mechanisms of neurotypical brain development and function.
Contact: cowanc@musc.edu
See his profiles below for more information: