• Baylor stress researcher recognized for groundbreaking early career work

    Dr. Annie Ginty portrait

    How does your body respond to stress? What is the impact of stress on heart health? When it comes to answering these and related questions, Baylor can rely on one of the top scientists in the field.

    Dr. Annie Ginty, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience, has already been recognized as an expert on stress and health, and the honors keep coming. This spring, Ginty received a prestigious Early Career Impact Award from the Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences (FABBS) for her “groundbreaking work in uncovering relationships between biological and cognitive stress responses, physical health, and mental health, as well as her commitment to using science for societal impact.”

    Prior to earning the FABBS recognition, Ginty was named a Rising Star by the Association of Psychological Science in 2018 and earned numerous research grants, including a prestigious K01 Research Scientist Development Award from the National Institutes of Health. That award was presented for a project analyzing the connections between stress responses and heart health.

    Other projects have examined stress and COVID-19, and psychological responses to feelings of stress. As her research yields greater understanding of stress reactions, practitioners can better understand the links between stress and health and take upstream measures to prevent health risks. A current focus is studying early-life trauma as a risk factor for diminished stress responses.

    More than three dozen Baylor students work alongside Ginty in her lab to advance that research, providing hands-on experience for students to learn from a nationally recognized leader. Ginty and her students also volunteer in the community at The Cove, a Waco nonprofit serving youth who experience homelessness, providing education and training as they serve. Beyond the Waco community, her lab regularly works with physicians in Guatemala on issues related to stress and health.

    Sic ’em, Dr. Ginty!

    [Learn more about Ginty’s research in this Winter 2021 Baylor Magazine feature.]