Dr. Paule Valery Joseph
Ph.D., CRNP, FAAN
Season 03 - Episode 08
Paule Valery Joseph Ph.D., CRNP, FAAN
Dr. Paule V. Joseph is a 2019 Lasker Scholar and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Distinguished Scholar. She is Chief of the Section of Sensory Science and Metabolism (SenSMet) in Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research (DICBR) at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) with a dual appointment at National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). Prior to her tenure track position, she was an Assistant Clinical Investigator at NINR. Dr. Joseph received an AAS in Nursing at Hostos Community College, a BSN from the College of New Rochelle, and a Master of Science with a specialty as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Pace University. She completed her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and conducted her PhD work at the Monell Chemical Senses Center. She then completed a Workforce Diversity Clinical and Translational Postdoctoral Fellowship at the NINR.
The Section of Sensory Science and Metabolism (SenSMet) aims to understand neurological and molecular mechanisms underlying chemosensation (taste, smell & chemesthesis) and motivational pathways of ingestive behaviors how they might be different in individuals with obesity and alcohol and substance use disorders. We are particularly interested in studying how the brain incorporates chemosensory information from the external environment and its internal states to guide eating/ingestive behavior. To achieve this goal, our laboratory conducts clinical-translational inpatient and outpatient studies. We use a combination of biobehavioral and innovative validated psychophysical methods for human studies. We also use imaging brain techniques, such as fMRI for olfaction and gustation. To provide mechanistic insight into our clinical research, we are also conducting preclinical studies using rodent models to understand cellular and molecular mechanisms that influence how the brain perceives the chemical senses (taste, smell, chemesthesis) and feeding behavior in a state of disease (e.g., obesity and substance use disorders). The SenSMet lab is currently investigating the interplay among biological and behavioral components of chemosensation in the context of diseases, with a particular emphasis on metabolic disorders like obesity and brain diseases, particularly alcohol and substance use disorders, given that both obesity and alcohol and substance use disorders share common brain mechanisms associated with the chemical senses. Besides, due to reports of taste and smell loss from individuals affected by COVID-19, our lab began investigating chemosensation and COVID-19. We are focused on understanding the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on the chemical senses.
Dr. Joseph has received several awards, including the highly competitive Johnson & Johnson- American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Minority Nurse Faculty Scholarship, the Rockefeller University Heilbrunn Nurse Scholar Award. Last year she was selected by the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) as one of 2020’s 40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health and National Association of Hispanic Nurses 40 under 40 award winner. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and a Fellow of the Transcultural Nursing Society. Dr. Joseph’s leadership comprises her multifaceted career combining research and clinical practice. Aside from her research at the NIH, her background as a nurse scientist and a woman of color has influenced her commitment to increase diversity in STEM related fields. Dr. Joseph is devoted to promoting diversity and decreasing health disparities. Her visionary leadership of national and global non-profits has focused on increasing the promotion of health within underserved populations and increasing diversity among the next generation of clinical and translational researchers. She currently serves as Vice-president of the Amazing Grace Children’s Foundation based in Ghana. She also mentors and trains students and junior faculty from underrepresented backgrounds. Additionally, she serves as the Director of Mentorship for the African Research Academy for Women. Dr. Joseph’s clinical experience, research interests, leadership skills, and dedication to diversity and health have distinguished her as a young nurse scientist.
website:
https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/about-niaaa/our-staff/paule-v-joseph-phd
https://www.ninr.nih.gov/researchandfunding/dir/dr-paule-v-joseph
Google scholar:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=2PHHsOIAAAAJ&hl=en
40 under 40 minority health
https://www.nmqf.org/40-under-40-awardees/2020/paule-josephs?format=amp
