Extensive facilities exist to support basic and clinical research in psychiatric and neurological disorders. The current research includes: study of the mechanisms of and potential treatments for psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders such as Schizophrenia, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Diseases, and acute neurological conditions such as stroke and ischemia; search for neurotrophic factors involved in neuronal protection, survival and rescue; molecular biological studies on neurotrophic factors, enzymes and receptors; gene regulation of monoamine synthesizing and catabolizing enzymes; investigations on biological markers and of the correlations between mood or behavior and the levels of neurochemicals in body fluids; clinical studies on the effects of psychiatric drugs on neurotransmitters and metabolites; studies of the uptake, release, binding and signal transduction mechanisms of a variety of CNS transmitters and modulators, drugs and ligand binding; studies of the enzymes involved in synthesis and catabolism of neuroactive compounds; role of alcohol-metabolizing enzymes in the development of alcoholism; cell-cell interactions; cerebrovascular functions.

For more information on this field of study, see the Department of Psychiatry website.

Programs