Nii Addy, PhD, Albert E. Kent Associate Professor of Psychiatry and associate professor of cellular and molecular physiology, will be honored by the East Grand Rapids (Michigan) Schools Foundation with its Distinguished Alumni Award.
The award will be presented October 7, 2026, at the foundation’s annual Community Service and Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner, where Addy will be the featured speaker.
Addy graduated from the East Grand Rapids School District in 1996. He will be one of two graduates honored at the dinner, which will focus on the issues of mental health, environmental protection, and local journalism.
Addy is a neuroscientist who directs a federally funded research program investigating cholinergic, dopaminergic and L-type calcium channel mechanisms mediating substance use and mood disorders. His team also studies the impact of tobacco product flavor additives on nicotine use behavior and addiction.
He hosts the Addy Hour podcast, discussing topics at the intersection of neuroscience, mental health, faith, and culture. He has been honored with many awards and has served on journal editorial boards and as a grant reviewer.