Dr. Pennington’s research focuses on identifying novel treatments for anxiety disorders.
Congratulations to Dr. Zachary Pennington, an assistant professor in UBC’s department of psychology, who is the recipient of a 2026 William & Nona Heaslip–Banting Discovery Award.
This award recognizes innovative health and biomedical research projects by outstanding early-career scientists at universities and research institutes in Canada. It provides a critical boost to pursue their research, that can one day transform lives.
Dr. Pennington received this award for his work analyzing the brain’s emotion‑related circuits.
“I am tremendously grateful to the Banting Discovery Foundation for their support. This award will be instrumental in allowing my lab to take its first steps towards better understanding the cells in the brain that regulate anxiety and fear. The whole lab is very excited to begin this work.”
Dr. Pennington is currently working to identify cells in the hypothalamus – a part of the brain that helps keep the body in balance – to better understand how they regulate the stress response. He will use this support to help identify novel treatment targets for anxiety disorders.
“Anxiety disorders are common and debilitating conditions for which improved treatments are greatly needed. The research supported by this award will begin to identify how different cell types in a region of the brain called the hypothalamus regulate fear and anxiety. The long-term goal is to identify novel treatment targets for anxiety disorders.”
The Banting Discovery Foundation provides feasibility and pilot grants that help early career scientists establish their independence and launch their research programs. These funds support the day-to-day realities of running a research program—from hiring trainees to acquiring essential equipment—empowering researchers to pursue bold ideas that push the boundaries of health and biomedical science.
