Jeff Boissoneault, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the department of clinical and health psychology is a 2021 recipient of the University of Florida’s Excellence Award for Assistant Professors, one of the university’s top honors for junior faculty.
“Dr. Jeff Boissoneault is at the top of assistant professors nationwide in studying the neural mechanism of pain and analgesia,” said Michael G. Perri, Ph.D., dean of the College of Public Health and Health Professions. “This is reflected in the early career awards he has obtained, in his research productivity and impact, and in his teaching excellence.”
The co-director of the Center for Pain Research and Behavioral Health, Boissoneault’s research has focused on the application of behavioral, psychophysiological and neuroimaging approaches to the study of pain and related constructs, alcohol and substance use, and their interaction. For instance, he is interested in improving understanding of how pain may influence alcohol effects and use behavior, as well as how alcohol use affects pain processing. His work is supported by nearly $3 million in grant funding from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
He has authored or co-authored 50 peer-reviewed publications and has twice received the college’s Dean’s Citation Award, which recognizes innovation and excellence in research. He also was awarded the UF department of medicine’s Most Outstanding Research Award in 2016 and 2017. He has been selected to serve as an NIH study section reviewer on three special emphasis panels.
Boissoneault serves as chair of five dissertation and two master’s committees and is a member on 16 other dissertation or master’s committees. Eight of 11 papers in the past two years have included trainees from his lab as co-authors, with trainees serving as first author on three papers. One of his mentees, Erin Ferguson, M.S., has received numerous awards, including an NIH F31 Kirschstein Individual Research Fellowship Diversity award for her dissertation research.
Boissoneault’s service to the college and university includes membership on the university’s Sustainability Committee, PHHP’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and the department of clinical and health psychology’s Health Equity, Anti-Racism, and Diversity task force and faculty recruitment and retention subcommittee.
The Excellence Award for Assistant Professors comes with a one-time allocation of $5,000 in support of research. The award can be used to fund travel, equipment, books, graduate student stipends and other research-related expenses.