Award Winners

Kashfia Nehrin Rahman

Third Place

The Dynamics of Habituation: A Neural Study of the Effects of Repeated Exposures to Risky Behaviors on Cognitive Control and Emotional Responses in the Adolescent Brain

Kashfia Nehrin Rahman

Kashfia Nehrin Rahman

My experience receiving the Addiction Science Awards by Friends of NIDA truly inspired me to study the mind, the brain, and behavior. Additionally, the wonderful opportunity of presenting my research at NIH/NIDA, visiting different labs, and interacting with wonderful and brilliant scientists, I was able to determine how important it is to improve mental health, especially in the period of adolescence, to maintain a healthy society.

About the Project: 

Kashfia concluded through her research that repeated risky exposures can desensitize associated negative responses, explaining why teens take risks when they know a behavior is dangerous. 

UPDATE (February 2019): Kashfia recently gave a TED Talk about her research and experience as a three-time award winner of the NIDA Addiction Science Award.


Kashfia Rahman standing on a platform before an audience and delivering her presentation. A red TED logo is seen on stage to her right, and a line graph is displayed on a monitor to her left.

Where Are They Now?

Undergraduate School: Harvard University

  • Major: Neuroscience and Public Health Policy