Nancy R. Zahniser, PhD, from University of Colorado, Denver received the 2014 Award in Excellence in Pharmacology/Toxicology from the PhRMA Foundation honoring her career achievements in the field of dopamine regulation in drug addiction.
Dr. Zahniser’s research has focused largely on better understanding the brain neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) and drugs that alter its function. Her work was the first to demonstrate that DA receptor binding is influenced by guanine nucleotides and that release-regulating presynaptic D2 DA autoreceptors exist on rat striatal neurons.
Dr. Zahniser received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the College of Wooster in 1970, and then taught high school science in India for a year. In 1977, she received her doctoral degree in pharmacology from the University of Pittsburgh, School of Pharmacy.
Dr. Zahniser has served as a regular member on two NIH study sections and editorial boards for three journals. She has mentored the research projects of 9 thesis students and 22 postdoctoral fellows and co-authored over 150 research articles, reviews, and book chapters. She served as ASPET secretary–treasurer in 2001–2002 and was selected as a fellow in the prestigious Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program for women in 2005–2006.
Throughout her career, Dr. Zahniser has been strongly committed to mentoring younger scientists. An ASPET member since 1982, Dr. Zahniser is primarily affiliated to the neuropharmacology division.