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Wall of Fame


Nicholas V. Cozzi, Ph.D.

Class Of: 1971
Inducted In: 2014



Nicholas V. Cozzi is a scientist and educator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. He holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and a B.S. in Pharmacology and Toxicology, both from the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy. His background and training is in pharmacology, chemistry, and neuroscience. Dr. Cozzi’s research involves the design, chemical synthesis, and pharmacological testing of substances with central nervous system activity. He is interested in how these agents act in the brain to enhance mood, improve cognition, and increase awareness, and in their clinical value for treating addiction, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic fear, and other mental health ailments. Dr. Cozzi is internationally recognized for his work in these areas. As an educator, Dr. Cozzi teaches medical pharmacology at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health and the UW School of Pharmacy and he is a frequent guest lecturer at other academic institutions around the United States. Before joining the UW-Madison, Dr. Cozzi was the Director of Pharmacology for a biotechnology company where he directed research projects related to the development of biological models in which to determine the efficacy, mechanisms of action, and toxicity of new and existing drugs. Earlier, he was a faculty member at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. Dr. Cozzi has received several teaching and research awards, including a Distinguished Basic Science Teaching Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a prestigious NARSAD Award from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation for his studies involving the serotonin uptake transporter. His research has also been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health. Outside the University, Dr. Cozzi consults for legal, pharmaceutical industry, and government clients.


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