Bita Moghaddam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bita Moghaddam
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| Born |
Iran
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | PhD at University of Kansas, Postdoctoral work at Yale University |
| Known for | Glutamate hyperactivity and disinhibition hypothesis of schizophrenia, original identification of the prefrontal cortex dopamine-glutamate circuitry as the site of action of ketamine and implicating this circuitry in stress and anxiety Author of KETAMINE MIT Press/Penguin Random House |
| Awards | Dolores Shockley Award, Paul Jansen Award for Excellence in Schizophrenia Research, Efron Award for Excellence in Research Related to Neuropsychopharmacology, 2014 CINP Neuroscience Basic Research Award, MERIT Award from the National Institute of Mental Health |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Neuroscience |
| Institutions | Yale, University of Pittsburgh, Oregon Health & Science University |
Bita Moghaddam is a famous Iranian-American scientist who studies the brain. She is a professor at Oregon Health & Science University. Dr. Moghaddam works to understand how our brains control emotions and thinking. Her goal is to find new ways to treat and prevent brain illnesses.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Bita Moghaddam grew up in Iran with her parents and sister. Her parents always taught her that education was very important. In the late 1970s, she moved to the United States to continue her studies.
In 1982, she graduated with top honors from Avila University. She studied chemistry and mathematics there. Then, she went to the University of Kansas for her PhD.
At first, she planned to study chemistry. But a professor, Dr. Ralph Adams, showed her how chemistry could help understand the brain. She became fascinated by how the brain works, especially in conditions like schizophrenia. This led her to choose a career in neuroscience.
For her PhD, Dr. Moghaddam learned how to use special tools to study brain chemistry. She worked on improving tiny electrodes to measure chemicals in living brains. In 1986, she published her first paper about these new methods.
She also found that levels of potassium, an important chemical, are different in various brain areas. In 1987, she finished her PhD, having studied both ions and brain chemicals at the same time.
After her PhD, Dr. Moghaddam went to Yale University for more training. She worked with Dr. Benjamin Bunney to study how dopamine affects the brain. Dopamine is a brain chemical that helps with movement, motivation, and pleasure.
During her three years at Yale, she published six important papers. She used a method called in vivo microdialysis to study dopamine in the brains of rodents. Her research helped scientists understand how different medicines affect dopamine release in the brain.
Career and Research
In 1990, Dr. Moghaddam became a professor at Yale University. She started her own lab to study brain systems involved in schizophrenia. These systems include dopamine neurons and parts of the prefrontal cortex.
Her lab found that dopamine neurons in a brain area called the Ventral Tegmental Area become active before something good happens. They also fire when a reward is received. This showed how these brain cells help us anticipate and respond to rewards.
Dr. Moghaddam then began to focus on another brain chemical called glutamate. She thought that problems with glutamate signaling might play a big role in schizophrenia.
In 1994, she discovered that stress-induced dopamine release is controlled by glutamate receptors. A few years later, she found that other glutamate receptors also control dopamine release. This showed how glutamate and dopamine systems in the brain work together.
She also made an important discovery about how stress affects glutamate. She found that stress hormones can stop the release of glutamate in the prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain is important for decision-making and planning.
In 1999, Dr. Moghaddam and her team tested a new compound called LY354740. They found it could help reduce unusual glutamate release. This compound also helped reduce certain behavioral problems in animals. These findings suggested that LY354740 could be a new way to treat brain disorders linked to glutamate problems.
In 2003, Dr. Moghaddam moved to the University of Pittsburgh. There, she took on more teaching roles and became a key mentor for many young students. She continued to study how glutamate affects behavior and brain circuits, especially in conditions like anxiety and schizophrenia.
She also started to study how these brain systems develop during adolescence. Many brain conditions start to show symptoms during teenage years. Understanding this period is important for preventing diseases later in life.
In 2017, Dr. Moghaddam joined Oregon Health & Science University as the Chair of the Department of Behavioral Neuroscience. She continues to research how the brain controls thinking and emotions. Her work helps us understand conditions like schizophrenia, anxiety, ADHD, and addiction.
Besides her research, Dr. Moghaddam is a strong advocate for women in science. She also encourages young people to pursue careers in science.
Awards and Honors
Dr. Moghaddam has received many important awards for her work:
- Dolores Shockley Award
- Paul Jansen Award for Excellence in Schizophrenia Research
- Efron Award for Excellence in Research Related to Neuropsychopharmacology
- Collegium Internationale Neuro-Psychopharmacology Neuroscience Basic Research Award
- MERIT award from the National Institute of Mental Health
- Fogarty Senior Fellowship Award
Books
Dr. Moghaddam is the author of the book KETAMINE. You can find more about it here: [1].
Media Coverage
Dr. Moghaddam's research has been featured in various news outlets:
- Huffington Post, 22 March 2016, “Anxiety Could Be The Reason You Made A Bad Decision.”
- Psychology Today, 17 March 2016, “How Does Anxiety Short Circuit the Decision-Making Process?”
- Forbes, 29 October 2012, “New Study Shows that Omega-3 Supplements Can Boost Memory in Young Adults.”
- Nature Podcast, March 2016, “Women at the Podium: ACNP Strives to Reach Speaker Gender Equality at the Annual Meeting.”
- SfN's first-ever podcast on "The Perils of Publishing"
- The Nation, 23 Mar 2022, “Breaking Off My Chemical Romance.” "[2]
- This is Critical, 22 Jan 2021, “Is Ketamine all it's cracked up to be?” "[3]
Personal Life
Bita Moghaddam's father is from Touyserkan, and her mother is from Tehran, Iran. Her father was a judge and wrote several books about the history and culture of his hometown.
Since 1989, Dr. Moghaddam has been married to fellow neuroscientist Charles W Bradberry. They have two children, Mazdak and Anahita.
