Rate My Professor Debra Karhson

Debra Karhson, Ph.D., serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of New Orleans. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Drexel University in 2007, a Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience from Tulane University in 2014, and completed postdoctoral training in the Research Training in Child Psychiatry and Neurodevelopment program at Stanford University School of Medicine. Following her postdoctoral work at Stanford, she joined the University of New Orleans in 2022. Karhson directs the Brains in Learning and Social Synchrony (BLISS) Lab, where she plans to admit a new PhD student starting in Fall 2024.

Karhson's research elucidates the neurobiological mechanisms of social connectedness, with a particular emphasis on the role of endocannabinoids such as anandamide in converting social interactions into lasting bonds. Her studies employ non-invasive brain imaging like EEG and molecular techniques including mass spectrometry to explore social learning, pleasure, and impairments in autism spectrum disorder. Key publications include "Intranasal oxytocin treatment for social deficits and biomarkers of response in children with autism" (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2017), "A randomized placebo-controlled pilot trial shows that intranasal vasopressin improves social deficits in children with autism" (Science Translational Medicine, 2019), "Plasma anandamide concentrations are lower in children with autism spectrum disorder" (Molecular Autism, 2018), "Endocannabinoid signaling in social functioning: an RDoC perspective" (Translational Psychiatry, 2016), and "The role of calsenilin/DREAM/KChIP3 in contextual fear conditioning" (Learning & Memory, 2009). She has garnered prestigious awards, including the 2024 Healthy Longevity Catalyst Award ($50,000) from the National Academy of Medicine for "The Neurological Mechanisms of Social Connection in Aging Adults" and selection as a 2025–2027 CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar, providing CAD $100,000 in funding.