Ishita Sharma Awarded TRUE RARC Scholar Program Fellowship: NIH-Funded Opportunity for Undergraduates in Addiction Research
The Rutgers Brain Health Institute (BHI) has awarded a $5,000 undergraduate fellowship to Ishita Sharma through the R25 Training in Research Undergraduate Experience Rutgers Addiction Research Center (TRUE RARC) Scholar Program, an NIH-funded initiative designed to engage undergraduates in addiction research and data science. By combining innovative coursework, hands-on research experiences, and professional development opportunities, the program empowers students to envision and pursue careers in addiction science.
Sharma is a junior in the School of Arts and Sciences (Class of 2027) at Rutgers, majoring in Psychology and Cell Biology & Neuroscience. Her research interests center on the intersection of biology and environment in substance use disorders, with a particular focus on how genetic factors and social determinants influence addiction and treatment outcomes.
“My primary research focus is on the intersection of genetics and social determinants on addiction and addiction treatment outcomes,” Sharma said. “I’m especially interested in how environmental factors and biological predispositions both affect substance use disorder treatment trajectories.”
Mentored Research Training with Dr. Sarah Brislin
As part of the TRUE RARC Scholar Program, Sharma is conducting research in Dr. Sarah Brislin’s laboratory, where she examines how environmental influences and genetic risk factors affect addiction outcomes. She noted that the program’s structured research placement was a strong match for her academic interests and long-term goals.
“Through this program, I was placed into Dr. Brislin’s lab, which was a perfect match for my interests,” she said. “I am interested in environmental and genetic factors on addiction outcome, and this is exactly what I am able to focus on in this lab.”
Dr. Sarah Brislin, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and core faculty member of the BHI, focuses her research on determining biological mechanisms that contribute to the expression and development of externalizing behavior in adolescence.
In addition to mentored research, the TRUE RARC Scholar Program provides rigorous training in data science, statistics, and addiction-focused research methods. Sharma emphasized that the coursework helped demystify data analysis and research workflows, even for students without prior coding experience.
“This program is a great introduction to navigating data science and understanding how research actually gets done,” she explained. “I especially appreciated the structured lab assignments and exercises, as they allow even someone with no prior coding experience to confidently visualize descriptive statistics and perform inferential analyses.”
Sharma also highlighted the program’s interdisciplinary curriculum. “Beyond technical skills, the curriculum provides refreshers on research statistics and biology to better understand the metrics used in addiction research,” Sharma said. “The program even hosted guest speakers like Dr. Danielle Dick, Director of the RARC, who provided insight into the role of genetics in addiction. Above all, it fosters a collaborative culture where both peers and lecturers are incredibly approachable.”
Much of the program’s coursework is based on data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, a resource Sharma expects to continue using in her lab work. “I anticipate that the program’s coursework will serve as vital reference material as I work on upcoming projects in my lab involving that same dataset,” she noted.
Looking ahead, the TRUE RARC Scholar Program has played a key role in shaping Sharma’s long-term academic and career goals. Through her combined coursework and research experiences, she has gained clarity about her future path in medicine and mental health. “This program has reaffirmed my pursuit of becoming a psychiatrist,” Sharma said. “Through the coursework, I’ve explored how addiction research is conducted, and through my lab experiences, I’ve been able to work with a population I would like to continue working with in the future.”
The TRUE RARC Scholar Program reflects BHI’s commitment to cultivating the next generation of addiction researchers and clinician-scientists by providing undergraduates with early exposure to impactful, interdisciplinary research.
Empowering the Next Generation of Neuroscience Leaders
At the Brain Health Institute, we are committed to training and supporting future neuroscientists through comprehensive programs and resources. Our trainees benefit from hands-on research opportunities, mentorship from leading experts, and access to professional development initiatives. Whether you’re a graduate student or postdoc, BHI provides the foundation you need to excel in your career and contribute to groundbreaking discoveries in brain health.
