Dr. Charles F.

Dr. Ford’s higher education journey began at Davidson College, where he graduated with honors in neuroscience, earned his department’s top research award, and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He attended Davidson College on a music performance scholarship as a saxophone player and was a member of a selective four-year leadership program, the Chidsey Leadership Fellows.

After graduating from Davidson College, Dr. Ford earned his MD and PhD in neuroscience from Emory University, where his doctoral research focused on the biological basis of social behavior and neuropsychiatric drug development. His scientific portfolio includes nine peer-reviewed publications in prestigious journals, including Nature Reviews Neurology, the Journal of Comparative Neurology, and Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. He also has over 20 poster presentations and five oral presentations at national and international conferences.

Dr. Ford’s extensive mentorship experience includes serving as a research mentor for undergraduate students at Emory University. He has also been Lead Author on translational neuroscience studies, literature reviews, natural history studies, op-eds on clinical trials, and other written works. Currently, Dr. Ford works as a translational medicine consultant, performing “dry lab” research for leading biotechnology companies, and he previously spent many years conducting wet lab research during his academic training. His research expertise spans neuroscience, genetics, rare diseases, animal models, translational research, and clinical natural history studies. This breadth allows him to guide students in designing rigorous "dry lab" and clinical data projects that are feasible, high-impact, and immune to the logistical delays of traditional wet labs.

As a mentor, Dr. Ford leverages his two years on the Emory MD-PhD Program Admissions Committee to reverse-engineer the application process, teaching students how to frame their research in ways that resonate with faculty reviewers. Students Dr. Ford has coached have been accepted to Ohio State University SOM, Georgia Medical College, University College London, and various Florida medical schools.

Dr. Ford’s mentorship has yielded exceptional results: he has successfully supported many undergraduates in earning co-authorship and first-authorship on peer-reviewed manuscripts. Furthermore, as a guest speaker at the 2021 Atlanta Science Festival and a recent winner of the communication-based game show 25 Words or Less, Dr. Ford is an expert in science communication. He excels at teaching students how to distill complex scientific concepts into concise, compelling narratives.