Dr. Thomas N. Ferraro is a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at CMSRU and is engaged actively in many facets of the school’s educational, research and service missions. Dr. Ferraro earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia (1985) and joined the Jefferson faculty as Instructor (1986). Following promotion to Assistant Professor (1990) and Associate Professor (1995), Dr. Ferraro moved his laboratory to the University of Pennsylvania (1997) where he became a member of the Center for Neurobiology and Behavior in the Department of Psychiatry. He also assumed the role of Assistant Dean for Animal Research at the University of Pennsylvania (2009). Dr. Ferraro joined CMSRU in May 2013.

Dr. Ferraro is recognized internationally as an expert in pharmacology, neuroscience and genetics. His teaching resume includes many years as lecturer, laboratory instructor and small-group leader for medical students, graduate students and medical residents, both at Jefferson Medical School and the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania. With respect to research, Dr. Ferraro’s laboratory has been funded continually by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 1994 with grant awards totaling over $10 million for projects that focus on neurological and psychiatric illnesses. Dr. Ferraro has published over 100 peer-reviewed scientific research papers. His research approach is translational in that human studies and studies of animal models cross-fertilize each other to generate experimental synergism and enhance clinical relevance. Current projects involve genetic mouse models of epilepsy, opioid addiction and neurodevelopmental disorders such as Rett Syndrome. Also, as part of a collaborative research team that includes investigators from the University of Pennsylvania and other institutions, two NIH grants were awarded to Dr. Ferraro in 2013, one to study somatic DNA alterations in the brain of individuals with schizophrenia and another to study similar genetic alterations in individuals with cocaine addiction.

In addition to research and teaching, Dr. Ferraro is engaged in many forms of service to the local and academic communities. Some of these activities include serving as the chairperson of an NIH advisory panel on Research Training and Career Development (since 2008) and serving as a research consultant to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Coatesville PA (since 1990). Dr. Ferraro is also a past-president and current member of the council of the Philadelphia Area Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience which sponsors a number of educational outreach programs. Additional community service takes the form of career day lectures to students in elementary and high schools as well as presentations on the importance of animal research in the 21st Century biomedical enterprise.