Rita Fuchs

Rita Fuchs Lokensgard is a behavioral neuroscientist whose independent research programs have been funded by the National Institute of Drug Addiction for the past 25 years. Her research has revealed critical cellular and circuit mechanisms of cue-induced drug relapse with the long-term goal of developing treatments for substance abuse disorder (SUD). Her current studies aim to understand how overly salient and intrusive cocaine memories are stored in the brain and whether interference with those memories could be leveraged to promote drug abstinence. Dr. Fuchs has extensive expertise in experimental design, data analysis, animal research, and human health. After receiving a PhD degree in Psychology, Dr. Fuchs conducted postdoctoral research in addiction neuroscience at the Medical University of South Carolina. She held a faculty position and received tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, prior to her recruitment to Washington State University to serve as Director of the WSU Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Program (ADARP). ADARP is a multi-campus, interdisciplinary research organization funded by the State of Washington. As Director, Dr. Fuchs organizes semi-annual research grant competitions at the faculty, postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate levels and an SUD-focused seminar series. She oversees ADARP’s mission to facilitate the recruitment and retention of SUD researchers at WSU. She also supported the work of the Center for Cannabis Policy, Research, and Outreach as past organizer of Dedicated Marijuana Account research grant competitions, past Executive Committee member, and grant reviewer.

Further, she recently served on the Office of Research Addiction and Substance Use Working Group, among other service and leadership commitments at the university (e.g., President’s commission on the Status of Women, Vivarium Oversight, Goldwater Distinguished Scholarship Committee), college (e.g., College of Veterinary Medicine Faculty Executive Committee, Tenure and Promotion Committee) and department (e.g., Chair of Undergraduate Neuroscience Program Committee, Chair’s Advisory Committee) levels. Dr. Fuchs has taken on leadership roles in several scientific societies. As elected member of the Washington State Academy of Sciences (WSAS), she served on the WSAS Cannabis Research Project Committee. As elected Fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), she participated as appointed member of the ACNP Women’s Task Force, the Education and Training Committee, and the Public Information Committee. As elected member of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, she worked on the Animals in Research Committee. Moreover, as member of the Society for Neuroscience (SFN), she was active on the Press Releases Committee and in the SFN Mentoring Project. Dr. Fuchs also serves as associate editor for the Journal of Neuroscience and as editorial board member for Neuropsychopharmacology, PLOS ONE, the Journal of Addiction and Prevention, and Scientific Reports. Dr. Fuchs has chaired or participated on several NIH study sections. In addition to research and service, Dr. Fuchs a passionate about educating future generations of scientists in undergraduate and graduate courses, mentoring postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate students, and contributing to educational outreach.