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Harry Scott Swartzwelder

Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Medicine & Neurosciences
Duke Box 104790, Durham, NC 27708
323 Foster St., Durham, NC 27701

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences · 2024 - Present Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Medicine & Neurosciences, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

In the News


Published August 20, 2019
Alzheimer’s Drug Reverses Brain Damage From Adolescent Alcohol Exposure in Rats
Published February 15, 2018
Alzheimer's Drug Repairs Brain Damage After Alcohol Binges In Rodents
Published October 9, 2017
Swartzwelder Receives Recognition from UNC Alcohol Research Program

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Recent Publications


Donepezil Reverses Alcohol-Induced Changes in Hippocampal Neurogenic and Glial Responses Following Adolescent Intermittent Ethanol Exposure Into Adulthood in Female Rats.

Journal Article Hippocampus · March 2025 Adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure leads to persisting increases in glial markers and significantly decreases the neurogenic niche in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Our previous study indicated that donepezil (DZ), a cholinesterase inhib ... Full text Link to item Cite

Adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) produces lasting, sex-specific changes in rat body fat independent of changes in white blood cell composition.

Journal Article Front Physiol · 2024 Early initiation of alcohol use during adolescence, and adolescent binge drinking are risk factors for the development of alcohol use disorder later in life. Adolescence is a time of rapid sex-dependent neural, physiological, and behavioral changes as well ... Full text Link to item Cite

Adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure alters adult exploratory and affective behaviors, and cerebellar Grin2b expression in C57BL/6J mice.

Journal Article Drug Alcohol Depend · December 1, 2023 Binge drinking is one of the most common patterns (more than 90%) of alcohol consumption by young people. During adolescence, the brain undergoes maturational changes that influence behavioral control and affective behaviors, such as cerebellar brain volum ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


1/8 NADIA U01 Effects of Adolescent Alcohol Exposure on Hippocampal Function in Adulthood

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2010 - 2024

Impact of Lifestyle Disruptions on Problem Drinking Behavior and Drinking Habit Development in Young Adulthood

FellowshipMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2022 - 2024

Development of a Veterans Affairs Based Comprehensive Lung Cancer Survivorship Program

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Institute for Medical Research, Inc. · 2018 - 2022

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Education, Training & Certifications


American University · 1980 Ph.D.