Sarah Leibowitz

BA, NYU, Psychobiology
PhD, NYU, Behavioral Neurobiology

Sarah is a researcher and Associate Professor at Rockefeller University. Her research areas include substance abuse and addiction, behavioral neurobiology, brain neurochemicals and receptors relating to eating behavior, hormone-neurotransmitter interactions, and developmental processes. She has developed methods for studying brain reprogramming caused by early exposure to drugs of abuse, early detection of abuse propensity, and personalizing pharmacotherapy for distinct subpopulations of prone or addicted individuals. Sarah has published over 300 journal articles and reviews throughout her career.

NYU has been in my family’s history for many, many years, since childhood. My father was a Professor of Psychology and founded the Psychology Department in the Heights. NYU was exceptionally helpful in enabling me to enter as an undergraduate and then pursue a PhD degree, later honoring me with a distinguished alumni award. This education has allowed me to pursue a 50-year research career in Behavioral Neurobiology and substance abuse at the Rockefeller University. Over the years, I have continued to benefit from the wisdom and guidance of my PhD sponsor, Prof. E.E. Coons.

2014