[4] Grant was born in Shanghai China, spending the early years of his life in what was formerly known as the French Concession, attending primary school at the Ecole Ste Jeanne D'Arc.
Grant's primary research has focused on the effects of diseases and substance abuse on brain and behavior.
In the next decade he coordinated studies into the effects of hypoxemia, and oxygen treatment, on cognitive functions in people with COPD.
Work on the stress experienced by elderly spousal caregivers of dementia patients explored how negative affect, sleep disturbance, and sympatho-adrenal-medullary arousal contributed to cardiovascular risk in care providers.
At the UCSD School of Medicine Grant coordinated the development of a multipart interdisciplinary core course in Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Grant has served as dissertation chair for over 20 PhD graduate students, many of whom have established independent academic careers.
Grant received the Paul Satz International Neuropsychological Society Career Mentoring Award in 2016.
Grant served on several NIH review groups, and on the National Advisory Councils of NIDA and the Office of AIDS Research.