Adjunct Assistant Professor
Division of Environmental health
Email: nferdous@sdsu.edu
Education
- PhD – Interdisciplinary Research on Substance Use, Joint Doctoral Program
between the University of California San Diego and San Diego State University
(2022) - MS – Biomedical Sciences (Major: Neuropharmacology), University of North Dakota (2016)
- BS – Pharmaceutical Sciences, North South University (2012)
Scholarly Areas
- Substance Use Research (Tobacco, Cannabis, Alcohol, Stimulants)
- Environmental Health
- Neuropsychology of substance use
- Neuropharmacology
- Pharmacology
- Public Health
Bio
Dr. Nafisa Ferdous has interdisciplinary background in addictive drug research and is dedicated to unraveling the connection between substance use, environmental contamination, and public health. During her Master’s in neuropharmacology at the University of North Dakota, she examined the long-term effects of stimulant drugs on the human central nervous system and collaborated on addressing substance use disorder. Building on this, she pursued a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Research on Substance Use at a Joint Doctoral Program between UC San Diego and San Diego State University, and investigated the neuropsychology of drug use among adolescents and young adults. Her doctoral research illuminated how neurocognitive factors influence alcohol and other substance use during this critical developmental stage, informing predictive factors for substance use initiation among youth and better prevention strategies. Following her PhD, Dr. Ferdous accepted a postdoctoral scholar position at the San Diego State University Research Foundation, where she transitioned her focus to community-based participatory research. Her present work is centered on examining how substance use impacts the environment and youth health, delving into macro-level concerns like drug-related environmental toxicities and their broader effects on public health. Her ongoing and upcoming research involves collaborative efforts with researchers from diverse backgrounds and community partners. Together, the goal is to raise awareness and develop solutions to mitigate the harmful effects of substance use pollutants on vulnerable populations. Specifically, she is assessing children’s exposure to secondhand and thirdhand tobacco smoke, e-cigarette vapor, and cannabis smoke/vape, with a particular emphasis on addressing the often-underestimated public health issue of thirdhand exposure.
