Importance of Edwards’ Research Recognized Nationally

The Central Nervous System Section of the American Physiological Society has selected Scott Edwards, PhD, Assistant Professor of Physiology and Neuroscience at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, as the recipient of its 2018 New Investigator Award. Dr. Edwards will be honored at the 2018 Experimental Biology Meeting in San Diego in April.

The Edwards lab, which is part of LSU Health New Orleans Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, is investigating the neurobiological changes associated with altered motivational systems in drug and alcohol addiction. The researchers are determining alterations in neuronal signaling following excessive drug or alcohol use and then studying which neuroadaptations are most critically involved in driving excessive drug intake, relapse and other motivational disorders. The interaction of addiction and chronic pain is the most recent target of the research.

“At a time when the nation is grappling with solutions for the opioid epidemic, the importance of Dr. Edwards research cannot be overstated,” notes Steve Nelson, MD, Dean of LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine. “This is one more area where our school’s expertise and leadership are recognized nationally.”

According to the APS, “The American Physiological Society (APS) is a nonprofit devoted to fostering education, scientific research, and dissemination of information in the physiological sciences. The Society was founded in 1887 with 28 members. APS now has over 10,500 members. Most members have doctoral degrees in physiology and/or medicine (or other health professions). APS is a member of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), a coalition of 26 independent societies that plays an active role in lobbying for the interests of biomedical scientists.”