RFU Neuroscientist Awarded $2.3 Million NIH Grant to Fund Ground-Breaking Research on Covid-19's Impact on Adolescent Brains

Nicole Ferrara, PhD, will investigate how social deprivation alters amygdala development and social behavior during adolescence

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nicole Ferrara, PhD, a neuroscientist and assistant professor of physiology and biophysics at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (RFU) secured a five-year, $2.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study how adolescent brains are affected by social disruptions such as COVID-19.

Dr. Ferrara's research project, "Social Experience Guides BMA Mediated Social Development," explores how significant social disruptions shape the neural processes that govern social behaviors. Her work is part of RFU's Brain Science Institute as part of the Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders. 

"It's rare that people are in total isolation," Dr. Ferrara said. "More often, it's restricted or inconsistent contact, and we want to see how that affects the brain. What we're learning from the research during the COVID19 lockdown is that those breaks are connected to the rising rates of anxiety, depression, and social dysregulation."

Janice Urban, PhD, interim executive vice president of research and director of the Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, said Dr. Ferrara's research is important because it focuses on a critical period of brain development.

"Since many mental health disorders manifest during adolescence and early adulthood, the results of these funded studies will provide important information that can be utilized to develop therapeutic interventions that could lessen these maladaptive changes and ultimately mental health disorders," Dr. Urban said.

Some of the behaviors impacted by social disruption include withdrawal from friends and family, aggression or hostility, slowed social maturation, poor school performance and substance abuse. This work is timely given that the psychosocial aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic are a major driving force underlying the steep rise in the incidence of neuropsychiatric disorders, especially in adolescents who are now approaching early adulthood.

Dr. Ferrara and her team's future research will center on how social deprivation during adolescence and adulthood shapes amygdala function leading to negative consequences on mental health and social behavior. Her preliminary data demonstrate a strong scientific premise that the basomedial amygdala (BMA) is developmentally unique from other parts of the brain in the way it functions during the teen and young adult years, which may make it especially susceptible to social disruption. 

Ferrara joined RFU in 2018 as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology. She became an assistant professor in September 2022 and is a faculty member in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics and the Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders.

About Rosalind Franklin University

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science is committed to serving the global population through the interprofessional education of health and biomedical professionals and the discovery of knowledge dedicated to improving wellness. Founded in Chicago in 1912, RFU embodies the spirit of inquiry and excellence modeled by its namesake Dr. Rosalind Franklin, whose Photo 51 was crucial to solving the structure of DNA. Recognized for its research in the areas of neuroscience, brain related diseases, inherited disorders, diabetes, obesity, and gait and balance, the university includes Chicago Medical School, College of Health Professions, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine, and the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Learn more at rosalindfranklin.edu.

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