Dr. Gilpin Named LSUHSC Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence Director
Dr. Nick Gilpin has been named the Director of the LSUHSC Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence (ADACE). He has served as ADACE’s co-director since 2023 and will continue his role as Vice Chair for Research in the physiology department, a position he has held since 2020.
In these roles, Dr. Gilpin has developed and led initiatives centered around mentoring, professional development and career advancement of junior scientists. He was recognized for these efforts with a Faculty Assembly Outstanding Mentor Award in 2021. Many of his former trainees have been appointed to faculty positions of their own. He has spearheaded more than 20 ADACE scientific retreats over the last decade, and has organized multiple local, national and international scientific meetings. He has served in leadership roles in the Research Society on Alcohol (RSA) and in the American College on Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), where he is appointed as a Fellow. He has been continuously funded by the NIH for his entire career and by the VA since 2017. He regularly serves on NIH and VA study sections.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to be named the Director of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center. I look forward to collaborating with our members and stakeholders to increase the impact and reach of the important work that takes place in the Center,” Gilpin said.
Dr. Gilpin received his bachelor’s in psychology from the University of Texas and his PhD in psychology from Purdue University. He completed his post-doctoral fellowship training in Dr. George Koob’s lab at The Scripps Research Institute. He joined the LSUHSC faculty as an R00-funded assistant professor in physiology in 2011. He was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2016 and in 2017 he received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists & Engineers (PECASE) from the White House. He was promoted to Full Professor in 2019.
“Dr. Gilpin is an exemplary citizen of the LSUHSC academic community and a lifelong learner. He is a passionate advocate for the value of NIH-funded research and its importance in improving the health of all people,” said LSU School of Medicine Dean Richard DiCarlo, MD. “I cannot think of a more enthusiastic, experienced, and respected individual to help us grow the research enterprise in ADACE.”