Dr. Nadine Kabbani is a neuroscientist and pharmacologist whose research focuses on molecular neuroscience, immune signaling, and public health. She earned her Ph.D. in pharmacology from the Penn State College of Medicine and completed postdoctoral training in neurobiology at Yale University and the Institut Pasteur in Paris.

Since joining George Mason University in 2008, Dr. Kabbani has directed a research laboratory investigating the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), a receptor involved in cholinergic signaling throughout the body. Her group was the first to identify and characterize a non-canonical signaling pathway through which nAChRs interact with G proteins, establishing a metabotropic role for the receptor in neural and immune cell function.

Her current research examines how microglia and peripheral immune cells respond to compounds such as nicotine and cannabinoids. Using mass spectrometry-based proteomics and cellular imaging techniques, her lab is identifying molecular signatures of drug exposure and contributing to collaborative efforts investigating the mechanisms of neuropathic pain and fentanyl toxicity in preclinical models. Her team is also developing artificial intelligence tools for the analysis of immune cell imaging data, with the goal of supporting research in neuroimmune therapeutics.

Dr. Kabbani holds an affiliate faculty position with the Schar School of Policy and Government, where she participates in interdisciplinary studies exploring the effects of substance use, addiction, and environmental exposures on public health.