Degrees and Certifications

Degrees

• 2024 - M.B.A. in Management, Wayne State University
• 2009 - Ph.D. in Biological Psychology, University of Michigan
• 2006 - M.S. in Biological Psychology, University of Michigan
• 2004 - B.S. in Psychology, University of Iowa

Certification

• United States Department of Justice, Controlled Substance Registration Certificate Research (II-V), Drug Enforcement Administration (active)

Positions and Employment

• 2024-Present - Interim Associate Dean for Research, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University
• 2019-Present - Associate Professor, Wayne State University
• 2014-Present - Graduate Faculty, School of Medicine and the Graduate School, Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University
• 2014-Present - Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wayne State University
• 2014-Present - Adjunct Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University
• 2014-2019 - Assistant Professor, Wayne State University
• 2013-2014 - Research Assistant Professor, University of Michigan
• 2010-2013 - Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Michigan
• 2009-2010 - Research Associate, University of Michigan
• 2009 - Junior Research Scientist, New York University

Awards and Honors

• 2024 - Wiley, Journal of Neuroscience Research, Top Cited Article 2022-2023
• 2021 - Nominated by the Translational Neuroscience Graduate Program for WSU Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award
• 2020 - Member and Mentor, Nu Rho Psi, The National Honor Society in Neuroscience
• 2020 - Nominated by Acting Dean Lysack for the WSU Board of Governors Faculty Award
• 2020 - Competitive Graduate Research Award, Graduate School, Wayne State University
• 2019 - Member, Beta Gamma Sigma, The International Business Society
• 2019 - Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentorship Award, Graduate School, Wayne State University
• 2018 - 15th Annual College Research Day Junior Faculty Research Award, Wayne State University
• 2018 - Elected as an Associate Member to the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
• 2017 - NAMI Michigan Investigator, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation’s Research Partners Program
• 2017 - American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-APS), “Outstanding Faculty Member,” Wayne State University Chapter
• 2016 - Wayne State University OVPR Faculty Competition for Postdoctoral Fellows
• 2015 - Nominated by WSU OVPR to submit an application to the Searle Scholars Program
• 2015 - Member, The Rho Chi Honor Society (The Academic Honor Society in Pharmacy)
• 2015 - Featured Faculty Researcher in the WSU EACPHS Dean’s Note
• 2015 - Wayne State University Research Mentor’s Program for New Faculty

Professional Memberships

• International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS)
• Society of Biological Psychiatry (SOBP)
• Brain Research and Integrative Neuroscience Network (BRAINnet)
• American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)
• American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP)
• American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP)

Areas of Expertise

• Behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms of aversive learning and memory, threat perception and emotion regulation
• Cannabinoid involvement during fear extinction learning and retention
• Biomarkers of development, maintenance and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety disorders
• (Endo)cannabinoid system as a pharmacological target for the treatment of PTSD

Primary Research Interest

Funded Research In Progress

• 2022-2027 - Veteran Marijuana Research Grant Program, Cannabis Regulatory Agency, State of Michigan, (08/01/2022-07/31/2027; $8,279,423 direct costs), Rabinak & Lundhal (Co-PIs), “Wayne State Warriors Marijuana Clinical Research Program: Cannabinoid Adj

• 2022-2027 - Veteran Marijuana Research Grant Program, Cannabis Regulatory Agency, State of Michigan, (08/01/2022-07/31/2027; $3,123,222 direct costs), Marusak & Woodcock (Co-PIs), “Investigating the Therapeutic Impact of Cannabinoids on Neuroinflammation and Neurobiological Underpinnings of Suicide Ideation in Veterans with PTSD”

• 2021-2026 - National Institute of Mental Health, Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23), K23MH125315, (07/01/2021-06/30/2026), Reilly Kayser (PI), "Multimodal Assessment of Cannabinoid Target Engagement in Adults with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder”

• 2021-2024 - National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Characterizing Causal Mechanisms to Prevent Dental Fear and Anxiety (R01 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required), R01DE031117, (07/01/2021-06/30/2024; $1,165,137 direct costs), Laura Seligman & Andrew Geers (MPI), “Identifying the Mechanism of Latent Inhibition to Prevent Dental Fear”

• 2020-2025 National Institute of Mental Health, Research Project Grant (R01), R01MH122867, (04/01/2020-03/31/2025; $882,879 direct costs); Ann Rasmusson (PI) "Facilitation of Extinction Retention and Reconsolidation Blockade by IV Allopregnanolone in PTSD"

• 2019-2024 National Institute of Mental Health, Mentored Research Scientist Development Award, K01, (04/01/2019-03/31/2024, $806,651); Hilary Marusak (PI), “Endocannabinoid Signaling and the Development of Fear Extinction Recall during Adolescence”

• 2018-2023 Veteran Affairs Career Development Program (CDA-2), 1IKRX002686 (06/01/2018-05/31/2023; $721,346 direct costs); Veronica Chui (PI), “Comorbidity of PTSD and Alcohol Dependence: Endocannabinoid Regulation”

• 2017-2024 National Institutes of Mental Health, NIH Exploratory Clinical Trials of Novel Interventions for Mental Disorders, R61MH111935 (02/24/2017-05/31/2024 NCE; $2,629,881 direct costs), “Effects of THC on Retention of Memory for Fear Extinction Learning in PTSD”

Completed Funded Research 

• 2021-2023 - Wayne State University, CURES Pilot Project Program, (10/01/2021-03/31/2023; $65,000 direct costs), Hilary Marusak (PI), “Effects of Urban Air Pollution on Neurodevelopmental Markers of Anxiety and Risk during Adolescence”

• 2021-2023 - National Institute of Drug Abuse, Ruth L. Kirschstein Individual Predoctoral NRSA for MD/PhD and other Dual Degree Fellowships (F30), F30DA052118, (05/01/2021-02/28/2023; $250,395 direct costs), Tabitha Moses (PI), "Neuromodulation of Stress-Induced Dysfunction and Drug-Seeking in Opioid Use Disorder: Comparison of Fronto-Cortical Targets"

• 2020-2023 - National Institute of Mental Health, Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31), F31MH124279, (09/01/2020-12/31/2023; $155,709 direct costs); Nicole Zabik (PI) "Neural and Behavioral Mechanisms of Avoidance Behavior and its Impact on Fear Extinction in Adults with PTSD"

• 2020-2021 Wayne State University, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences New Investigator Grant Program, (10/01/2020-08/31/2021; $25,000 direct costs); Hilary Marusak (PI), “Impact of Adolescent Cannabis Use on Endocannabinoid Signaling and Emotion Regulation Neural Circuitry”

• 2017-2019 Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, NARSAD Young Investigator Grant (01/15/2017-01/14/2019; $70,000 direct costs [NCE 07/14/2019]), “Effects of FAAH Genotype on Fear-Related Brain Activation during Fear Extinction”

Recent Publications

Refereed Journals

• Desai, S., Zundel, C. G., Evanski, J. M., Gowatch, L. C., Bhogal, A., Ely, S., Carpenter, C., Shampine, M., O'Mara, E., Rabinak, C. A., & Marusak, H. A. (2024). Genetic variation in endocannabinoid signaling: Anxiety, depression, and threat- and reward-related brain functioning during the transition into adolescence. Behavioural Brain Research, 463, 114925. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2024.114925

• Labuschagne, I., Dominguez, J. F., Grace, S., Mizzi, S., Henry, J. D., Peters, C., Rabinak, C. A., Sinclair, E., Lorenzetti, V., Terrett, G., Rendell, P. G., Pedersen, M., Hocking, D. R., & Heinrichs, M. (2024). Specialization of amygdala subregions in emotion processing. Human Brain Mapping, 45(5), e26673. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.26673

• Geers, A. L., Seligman, L. D., Pituch, K. A., Colagiuri, B., Marusak, H. A., Rabinak, C. A., Al-Ado, S. L., Turner, N., & Nedley, M. (2024). A test of pre-exposure spacing and multiple context pre-exposure on the mechanisms of latent inhibition of dental fear: a study protocol. BMC Psychology, 12(1), 85.

• Geers, A. L., Seligman, L. D., Pituch, K. A., Colagiuri, B., Marusak, H. A., Rabinak, C. A., Turner, N., Al-Ado, S. L., & Nedley, M. (2024). A study protocol testing pre-exposure dose and compound pre-exposure on the mechanisms of latent inhibition of dental fear. BMC Psychology, 12(1), 36.

• Evanski, J. M., Iadipaolo, A., Ely, S. L., Zundel, C. G., Gowatch, L. C., Bhogal, A., Owens, Z., Cohen, C., Goldberg, E., Bluth, M. H., Taub, J., Harper, F. W. K., Rabinak, C. A., & Marusak, H. A. (2024). Smaller Hippocampal Volume Is Associated With Reduced Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Children With Cancer and Survivors Following a Brief Novel Martial Arts-Based Intervention. Archives of clinical neuropsychology : the official journal of the National Academy of Neuropsychologists, 39(2), 167-174.

• Marusak, H.A., Evanski, J., Desai, S., & Rabinak, C.A. (2023). Impact of childhood trauma exposure, genetic variation in endocannabinoid signaling, and anxiety on frontolimbic pathways in children. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2022.0144

• Zabik, N.L., Iadipaolo, A., Peters, C., & Rabinak, C.A. (in press) Cannabinoid modulation of corticolimbic activation during extinction learning and fear renewal in adults with posttraumatic stress disorder. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory

• Seligman, L.D., Geers, A.L., Kramer, L., Clemens, K.S., Pituch, K.A., Colagiuri, B., Marusak, H.A., Rabinak, C.A., Turner, N., & Nedley, M. (in press). Study protocol of an investigation of attention and prediction error as mechanisms of action for latent inhibition of dental fear in humans. BMC Psychology, 11(23)

• Zabik, N.L., Peters, C., Iadipaolo, A., Marusak, H.A., & Rabinak, C.A. (2022). Comparison of behavioral and brain indices of fear renewal during a standard vs. novel immersive reality Pavlovian fear extinction paradigm in healthy adults. Behavioural Brain Research, 437

• Pacitto, R., Peters, C., Iadipaolo, A., & Rabinak, C.A. (2022). Cannabinoid modulations of brain activation during volitional regulation of negative affect in trauma-exposed adults. Neuropharmacology, 218

• Hehr, A., Iadipaolo, A.S., Morales, A., Cohen, C., Taub, J.W., Harper, F.W.K. Goldberg, E., Bluth, M.H., Rabinak, C.A. & Marusak, H.A. (2022). Meditation reduces activity in the default mode network in children with cancer. Pediatric Blood & Cancer, 69(10), e29917.

• Marusak, H.A., Evanski, J., Desai, S., & Rabinak, C.A. (2022). Impact of childhood trauma exposure, genetic variation in endocannabinoid signaling, and anxiety on frontolimbic pathways in children. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research

• Mayo L.M, Rabinak C.A, Hill M.N & Heilig M. (2022). Targeting the endocannabinoid system in the treatment of PTSD: A promising case of preclinical-clinical translation? Biological Psychiatry, 91(3), 262-272.

• Zabik, N., Iadipaolo, A., Marusak, H., Peters, C., Burghardt, K. & Rabinak, C.A. (2022). A common genetic variant in fatty acid amide hydrolase is linked to alterations in fear extinction neural circuitry in a racially diverse, non-clinical sample of adults. The Journal of Neuroscience Research, 100(3), 744-761.

• Desai, S., Borg, B., Cuttler, C., Crombie, K.M., Rabinak, C.A., Hill, M.N., & Marusak, H.A. (2021). A systematic review and meta-analysis on the effects of exercise on the endocannabinoid system. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research

• Borg, B.A., Rabinak, C.A. & Marusak, H.A. (2021). Violence exposure and mental health consequences among urban youth. Current Psychology

• Marusak H.A., Hehr, A., Bhogal, A., Peters, C., Iadipaolo, A., & Rabinak, C.A. (2021). Alterations in fear extinction neural circuitry and fear-related behavior linked to trauma exposure in children. Behavioural Brain Research, 398

• Sharif, L., Marusak, H.A., Peters, C., Elrahal, F., & Rabinak, C.A. (2021). Trustworthiness and electrocortical processing of emotionally ambiguous faces in student police officers. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 307.

• Stewart, R., Brahimi, X., Iadipaolo, A.S., Peters, C., Harper, F.W.K., Taub, J.W., Rabinak, C.A., & Marusak, H.A. (2020). Childhood cancer-related posttraumatic stress and resilience have distinct effects on volume of the amygdala and hippocampus. Adversity and Resilience Science, 1, 307-318.

• Marusak, H.A., Iadipaolo, A.S., Cohen, C., Goldberg, E., Taub, J.W., Harper, F.W.K., Bluth, M.H., & Rabinak, C.A. (2020). Martial arts based-therapy reduces pain and distress among children with chronic health conditions and their siblings. Journal of Pain Research, 13, 3467-3478.

• Huntley, E.D., Marusak, H.A., Berman, S.E., Zundel, C.G., Hatfield, J.R.B., Keating, D.P., & Rabinak, C.A. (2020). Adolescent substance use and functional connectivity between the ventral striatum and hippocampus. Behavioural Brain Research, 390.

• Rabinak, C.A., Blanchette, A., Zabik, N., Peters, C, Marusak, H.A., Iadipaolo, A., & Elrahal, F. (2020). Cannabinoid modulation of corticolimbic activation to threat in trauma-exposed adults: a preliminary study. Psychopharmacology, 237(6), 1813-1826.

• Raber, J., Arzy, S., Bertoulus Boulanger J., Depue, B., Haas, H., Kangas, M. Kenzinger, E., Lowry, C., Marusak, H.A., Minnier, J., Mouly, A.M., Muhlberger, A., Norrholm, S., Peltonen, K., Pinna, G., Rabinak, C.A., Shiban, Y., Soreq, H., van der Kooij, M., Weingast, L., Yamashita, P., & Boutros, S. (2019). Current understanding of fear learning and memory in humans and animal models and the value of a linguistic approach for analyzing fear learning and memory in humans. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 105, 136-177.

• Hammoud, M.Z., Peters, C., Hatfield, J.R.B., Gorka, S., Phan, K.L., Milad, M.R., & Rabinak, C.A. (2019). Influence of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on long-term neural correlates of threat extinction memory retention in humans. Neuropsychopharmacology, 44(10), 1769-1777.

• Marusak. H.A., Harper, F.W., Taub, J.W., & Rabinak, C.A. (2019). Pediatric cancer, posttraumatic stress, and fear-related neural circuitry. International Journal of Hematologic Oncology, 8(2), IJH17.

• Hehr, A., Marusak, H.A., Huntley, E.D. & Rabinak, C.A. (2019). Effects of duration and midpoint of sleep on cortico-limbic circuitry in youth. Chronic Stress, 3, 1-14.

• Gellci, K., Marusak, H.A., Peters, C., Elrahal, F., Iadipaolo, A., & Rabinak, C.A. (2019). Community and household-level socioeconomic disadvantage and anterior insula-based functional organization in children and adolescents. NeuroImage, 184, 729-740.

• Marusak, H.A., Iadipaolo, A.S., Paulisin, S., Harper, F.W., Taub, J.W., Dulay, K., Elrahal, F., Peters, C., Sala-Hamrick, K., Crespo, L.M., & Rabinak, C.A. (2019). Emotion-related brain organization and behavioral responses to socioemotional stimuli in pediatric cancer survivors with posttraumatic stress symptoms. Pediatric Blood Cancers, 66(1), e27470.

Abstracts Published

• Zabik, N., Rabinak, C.A., Iadipaolo, A., & Peters, C. (2023). Cannabinoid modulation of Pavlovian fear extinction and its effects on avoidance-related functional connectivity in adults with PTSD. Biological Psychiatry, 93(9), S13.

• Evanski, J., Iadipaolo, A., Peters, C., Ely, S., Zundel, C.G., Gowatch, L.C., Bhogal, A., Desai, S., Owens, Z., Cohen, C., Goldberg, E., Bluth, M.H., Taub, J., Harper, F., Rabinak, C.A., & Marusak, H.A. (2023). Smaller hippocampal volume predicts reductions in posttraumatic stress symptoms in pediatric cancer patients following a novel martial arts-based intervention. Biological Psychiatry, 93(9), S210.

• Desai, S., Zundel, C.G., Evanski, J.M., Gowatch, L.C., Bhogal, A., Ely, S., Rabinak, C.A., & Marusak, H.A. (2023). Genetic variation in endocannabinoid signaling: anxiety, depression, and threat- and reward-related brain functioning during the transition to adolescence. Biological Psychiatry, 93(9), S228-S229.

• Zabik, N.L., Iadipaolo, A., Peters, C. & Rabinak, C.A. (2022). Varying doses of THC rescue neural fear circuitry dysfunction in trauma-exposed adults. Biological Psychiatry, 91(9), S354-S355.

• *Zabik, N.L., Iadipaolo, A., Peters, C. & Rabinak, C.A. (2021). Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol moderates the effects of avoidance symptom severity on neural activation during fear renewal in trauma-exposed adults. Neuropsychopharmacology, 46, 31.

• *Marusak, H.A., Peters, C., Iadipaolo, A., & Rabinak, C.A. (2021). Are there sex differences in fear conditioning and extinction before puberty? A preliminary study in pre-adolescent children. Biological Psychiatry, 89(9), S109-S110

• *Zabik, N.L., Iadipaolo, A., Peters, C. & Rabinak, C.A. (2021). Acute effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol on fear-related neural circuitry: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subjects study in trauma-exposed adults. Biological Psychiatry, 89(9), S104.

• *Zabik, N.L., Iadipaolo, A., Peters, C. & Rabinak, C.A. (2020, December). Genetic endocannabinoid variation does not predict differential neural fear activation during fear extinction in healthy humans: a preliminary study. Neuropsychopharmacology, 45, 78

• *Marusak, H.A., Peters, C., Iadipaolo, A., & Rabinak, C.A. (2020, December). Sex differences in the ability to extinguish fear in pre-adolescent children. Neuropsychopharmacology, 45, 176-177.

• Marusak, H., Stewart, R., Brahimi, X., Iadipaolo, A., Peters, C., Harper, F. Taub, J. & Rabinak, C.A. (2020). Distinct effect of childhood cancer-related posttraumatic stress resilience on volume of the amygdala and hippocampus. Biological Psychiatry, 87(9), S384.

• Sharif, L., Marusak, H.A., Peters, C., Iadipaolo, A., Elrahal, F., & Rabinak, C.A. (2019). Differential neural activation during contextual and cue reversal learning in humans. Neuropsychopharmacology, 44, 92-93.

• Marusak, H.A., Peters, C, Iadipaolo, A., Elrahal, F., Burghardt, K., & Rabinak, C.A. (2019). Endocannabinoid regulation of fear-extinction neural circuitry in youth: effects of FAAH genotype. Neuropsychopharmacology, 44, 232.

Laboratory Web Site

Translational Neuropsychopharmacology Lab

Courses taught by Christine Rabinak, Ph.D., M.B.A.

Fall Term 2024 (current)

• PHA4125 - Drug Literature Evaluation and Foundations of Research

Spring-Summer Term 2024

• PHA4125 - Drug Literature Evaluation and Foundations of Research
• PPR6550 - Psychiatric Pharmacy

Fall Term 2023

• PHA4125 - Drug Literature Evaluation and Foundations of Research

Spring-Summer Term 2023

• PHA4125 - Drug Literature Evaluation and Foundations of Research
• PPR6550 - Psychiatric Pharmacy

Fall Term 2022

• PHA4125 - Drug Literature Evaluation and Foundations of Research

Spring-Summer Term 2022

• PHA4125 - Drug Literature Evaluation and Foundations of Research

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