Victoria B. Risbrough, Ph.D.

Victoria B. Risbrough, Ph.D.
bbrf awards icon BBRF Awards & Recognition

Scientific Council Member (Joined 2017)

Victoria B. Risbrough, Ph.D.

bbrf awards icon Title & Institution

Associate Director of Neuroscience, Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System

Professor of Psychiatry

University of California San Diego
bbrf awards icon BBRF Awards & Recognition
bbrf awards icon Bio

Dr. Risbrough is a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California San Diego and Associate Director of Neuroscience for the Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health for Veterans Affairs. Her research is centered on translational mechanisms and treatments of anxiety and depression particularly trauma-related disorders. She leads a dual preclinical/clinical research program focusing on identifying mechanisms of risk and resilience to post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as development of new pharmacological treatments for these disorders. She uses homologous physiological and behavioral measures of trauma response across rodents and humans to develop translational probes of anxiety responding and treatment efficacy. Her preclinical laboratory uses behavioral, pharmacological, genetic and molecular techniques to identify genetic and circuit mechanisms of enduring trauma responses. Her clinical work examines mechanisms underlying core disruptions of fear learning and inhibition in trauma-related disorders, as well as development of novel pharmacological treatments targeting these mechanisms. Examples of her clinical work include her directorship of the Neurocognition Project of the Marine Resiliency Study, assessing neurocognitive, biological and psychophysiological markers of risk for PTSD in combat exposed individuals. She is on the Scientific Council for the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, is a Member of the American College of Neuropharmacology and is Associate Editor of Neurobiology of Stress. She has received funding from NARSAD, NIDA, NIMH, VA, DOD and TRDRP and Navy BUMED.

Learn More About the Foundation

Who
We Are

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation is a global nonprofit organization focused on improving the understanding, prevention and treatment of psychiatric and mental illnesses.

Read more

Our
Impact

Beginning in 1987, the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation was providing seed money to neuroscientists to invest in “out of the box” research that the government and other sources were unwilling to fund. Today, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation is still the leading, private philanthropy in the world in this space.

Read more

Our
People

Meet the people who make up the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. Our staff of experts, passionate Board of Directors, and Scientific Council which includes Nobel prize winners and chairs of psychiatric departments around the world.

Read More

Annual Report
& Financials

We take our responsibility to our donors seriously and believe that our financial operations must be transparent. We're proud to say that 100% of your contribution for research is invested directly in research grants.

Read more

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation.

Read more

Media
Center

The latest news on brain and behavior research and issues that matter most to you.

Read more