University of Pittsburgh Awards Tenure to Zachary Freyberg, MD, PhD
We are delighted to announce that Zachary Freyberg, MD, PhD, has received conferral of tenure at the rank of associate professor by the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Freyberg has made critical contributions to research pertaining to the association between dopaminergic neurotransmission and psychiatric disorders including addiction, schizophrenia, and Parkinson’s disease.
He is principal investigator (PI) of multiple studies funded by the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Freyberg leads a National Institute of Environmental Health Services R01 grant focused on novel roles of VGLUT in sex differences in dopamine neuron vulnerability to environmental toxicant-induced neurodegeneration, and is PI of a National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases R01 investigating dopaminergic signaling mechanisms in the endocrine pancreas that may be altered by anti-psychotic drugs. He additionally leads a National Institute on Aging R21 focused on mechanisms for preserving neurons in Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias, and is contact PI on a multiple principal investigator (MPI) National Institute on Drug Abuse Cutting-Edge Basic Research Awards (CEBRA) R21 grant. As MPI of a National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism R21, Dr. Freyberg investigates age- and sex-specific effects of glutamatergic modulation of alcohol reinforcement and motivation. His funding also includes a Department of Defense Expansion Award, a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and a grant from The Pittsburgh Foundation. He serves as co-investigator on two additional grants.
Among Dr. Freyberg’s important contributions to scientific discovery, he was the first to characterize the mechanisms by which antipsychotic drugs cause insulin resistance by disrupting dopamine receptor signaling in the pancreas. He additionally identified a new biomarker of dopamine neuron survival in Parkinson’s disease and discovered ribosome-associated vesicles, a new intracellular organelle.
Dr. Freyberg is an elected associate member of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, and a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation. He is a recipient of multiple honors, including the Society of Biological Psychiatry A.E. Bennett Award.
An outstanding teacher and mentor, Dr. Freyberg has worked with undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, as well as residents and postdoctoral fellows. He additionally serves as associate director of the Department’s Psychiatry Research Pathway (PRP) program, and serves on the training faculty of multiple programs across the University of Pittsburgh.
“Dr. Freyberg has a strong national and increasingly international reputation as an expert in dopaminergic neurotransmission, neuronal cell biology, and application of cutting-edge imaging technologies to the study of neuropsychiatric disease,” said David Lewis, MD (Chair, Department of Psychiatry). “He has been recognized for his contributions through prestigious awards and honors, is an outstanding member of the scientific community, and has made tremendous contributions to the teaching and mentorship of the next generation of scientists.”
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Freyberg!