Department of CMGM Welcomes Dr. Mallory Stephenson as New Assistant Professor.

 

Dr. Mallory Stephenson: A New Addition to the CMGM Team

The Department of Cellular, Molecular, and Genetic Medicine proudly welcomes Dr. Mallory Stephenson as a new assistant professor in the Human and Molecular Genetics program at VCU! Dr. Stephenson's journey began at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she earned her MS degree in Developmental Psychology in 2020 before joining the Department of Behavioral and Statistical Genetics as a PhD student. During her remarkable academic pursuits, she received prestigious accolades, including the Smriti Bardhan Award of Excellence in Genetics Research in 2024 and the Kenneth S. Kendler Award for Excellence in Pre-Doctoral Research in 2023. She completed her PhD in 2024, and in 2025, she took on the role of Assistant Professor in the Human and Molecular Genetics program at VCU.

Dr. Stephenson’s research focuses on understanding genetic and environmental influences on alcohol problems and suicidal behavior. Her lab employs innovative, genetically informed approaches, including family-based designs, genome-wide association studies, and both twin and molecular genetic analyses, to uncover causal pathways, gene-environment interactions, and shared genetic risk across psychiatric and behavioral traits. Dr. Stephenson is enthusiastic about joining the CMGM community and looks forward to collaborating with faculty and mentoring trainees.

Dr. Stephenson is excited to become part of the CMGM community, eagerly anticipating the opportunity to collaborate with fellow faculty and inspire the next generation of trainees.

Welcome to the CMGM team, Dr. Stephenson!

By Anna Kovilakath

Department of CMGM

Email: Anna.Kovilakath@vcuhealth.org

 

Date: 1 August 2025