Publications

Antipsychotic drugs are effective for psychotic symptoms but of limited utility for negative symptoms and general psychopathology (e.g., depression, anxiety, stress). Some patients with schizophrenia are thought to experience an exacerbation of symptoms caused by an imbalance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and elevated levels of inflammatory proteins. These immune-inflammatory alterations may adversely...

Adolescent suicide and suicidal behavior have shown dramatic increases in the past decade, making suicide the second leading cause of death in this age group. The standard practice is to hospitalize adolescents at highest imminent risk for a suicide attempt, but the risk for suicidal behavior is highest within the first three weeks after discharge. Currently there are no interventions designed to decrease the risk...

Schizophrenia is a challenging mental illness characterized by psychosis, cognitive deficits and other symptoms such as disorganized speech, difficulty showing emotion, and lack of motivation. People with schizophrenia, including those suffering their first psychotic break, known as a first episode of psychosis (FEP), also frequently experience sleep disturbances such as having a hard time falling and staying...

Why do adolescents engage in risky behavior? Scientists believe that the reason may stem from brain changes that occur during this period, including increased activity in certain regions of the mesolimbic dopamine system. The mesolimbic system connects the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the nucleus accumbens, forming a reward pathway that enhances motivation in adolescents. In adolescent rodents and humans...

Pictured above: Vishwajit Nimgaonkar, MD, PhD and Leonardo D'Aiuto, PhD Unlike cells from other organs such as the liver or lungs, neurons are very difficult to collect from a living patient. In fact, one of the biggest hurdles to treating brain diseases is a lack of cells that researchers can use to study the conditions and develop new therapies. Over the last decade, a method to “reprogram” human skin cells into...

People with anxiety conditions experience frequent and excessive anxiety that disrupts their ability to function. There are several different types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder, that together will affect one in four adults at some point in their lives. With such an enormous public health burden, there is great need for more effective anxiety treatments...