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Amelia Gallitano-Mendel, MD PhDAssistant Professor, Department of Basic Medical Sciences - The University of Arizona College of Medicine—Phoenix in partnership with Arizona State University
UA Office Phone: (602) 827-2131 |
Education:Postdoctoral Fellowship (Molecular Neuroscience and Psychiatric Genetics); Washington University School of Medicine; 2001-2004 Internship and Residency in Psychiatry; Columbia University and The New York State Psychiatric Institute; 2001 PhD and MD; University of Pennsylvania; 1997 Research Interests:Psychiatric illnesses are caused by both genetic and environmental factors. However, almost nothing is known about how these factors interact to give rise to the biological abnormalities that underlie the symptoms of major mental illnesses like schizophrenia. The goal of my research is to elucidate the mechanism by which genes and environment interact to cause psychiatric disorders. To investigate this question I have focused on genes which act at the nexus between changes in the environment and changes in gene expression in the brain. These genes, called immediate early genes (IEGs), are activated at high levels in the brain in response to stimuli such as stress, social interactions, hormonal fluctuations, and interventions such as administration of drugs and electroconvulsive therapy. To identify the potential role of these genes in cognition and psychiatric illness I have taken a dual approach of studying mice that lack function of these genes, as well as evaluating mutations in these genes in humans. The results of my studies suggest that mice lacking the IEG Early Growth Response gene 3 (Egr3) display behavioral and physiologic abnormalities consistent with the human illness schizophrenia. These behavioral abnormalities can be reversed by treating the mice with antipsychotic medications that we use to treat human psychiatric illnesses. In addition, the mice display a unique response to the premier antipsychotic medication clozapine, which is characteristic of that seen in patients with schizophrenia. Ongoing studies in my lab are pursuing the brain abnormalities of these mice which may both identify the mechanism of action of clozapine and provide insight into the neurobiological abnormalities that give rise to the symptoms of schizophrenia. I am also pursing the role of IEGs in psychiatric illness through human genetic studies. By resequencing DNA samples from patients with mental illness I have identified novel mutations in one of these genes and am currently investigating whether these and other polymorphisms may be associated with the disorder schizophrenia. I am now extending these studies to evaluate other genes that I have hypothesized to play a role in psychiatric disorders. Through these studies I hope to elucidate biological pathways which could be targets for therapies to treat, and possibly prevent, devastating illnesses such as schizophrenia. PubMed Link:Search PubMed for a complete listing of Dr. Gallitano-Mendel's publications Selected Publications:
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