Amber Harris Bozer: Assistant Professor

Amber Harris Bozer is an Assistant Professor from Granbury, Texas. She works to see how chronic pain changes the brain.

What do you do?

I am an experimental psychologist and neuroscientist. I investigate how chronic pain changes the brain. I also study how behavior changes due to chronic pain. I do this using a machine which records brain activity from the scalp called an electroencephalogram (EEG) while asking participants to complete surveys and tasks on a computer. I also work with college students by teaching them and mentoring them to become psychological scientists.

Why is your work important?

Pain is the number one reason why people see a doctor worldwide, but there is no cure for pain. I work to help understand the brain activity so we can know more about how pain works.

What's the coolest thing about being a scientist? 

One of the coolest things about what I do is the opportunity to teach students during study abroad programs. I just completed teaching an Animal Behavior course in the Galapagos islands. Rather than teaching students about blue-footed boobies and marine iguanas in a classroom, I had the opportunity to show them.

What's your favorite STEM fact?

About 20% of the world's population will experience chronic pain during their lives, and everyone on the planet will know someone who has. Pain is universal.

What do you wish others knew about being an Assistant Professor?

My career in academia involves research, teaching, and service. I rarely do the same thing every day. You can find me teaching psychology and neuroscience classes, doing brain research in the lab, working with student volunteer organizations, travelling to research conferences to present and share data and writing papers for publication.

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