News & Announcements

The field of neurodevelopmental research has evolved over the past decade with major advances in genetics, brain imaging and laboratory models. Large genomic studies have uncovered many more genes associated with risk of developing autism, schizophrenia and related conditions, while new technologies, including brain organoids grown from patients' stem cells, are giving scientists new insight into how these disorders develop and affect brain function.  

A new Northwestern study in humans and mice has discovered a novel biomarker of schizophrenia that could also serve as a new drug candidate to treat the cognitive symptoms of the disorder.

Richard Smith, PhD, assistant professor of Pharmacology and of Pediatrics, has received the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s New Innovator Award, which supports early-career investigators conducting high-risk and innovative research in the biomedical, behavioral or social sciences.

Feinberg investigators now have access to one of the most advanced super-resolution imaging systems in the world, thanks to the installation of the MIRAVA Polyscope at the Center for Advanced Microscopy.

Research on tunneling nanotubes (TNT) presented during the AAIC Featured Research Session was recently spotlighted by Alzforum, a widely respected outlet in the neuro and clinical research community.

Northwestern Medicine scientists have been awarded $17 million to study genetic causes of autism and schizophrenia, with the aim of developing new drugs to treat the conditions.

Northwestern Medicine scientists have identified the cause of a genetic subtype of autism and schizophrenia that results in social deficits and seizures in mice and humans.

A team of Northwestern investigators led by Peter Penzes, PhD, has developed a new therapy that could treat Phelan-McDermid syndrome, a subtype of autism spectrum disorder.

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered a biomarker for one type of autism within cerebrospinal fluid, according to a recent study.

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered an unexpected connection between a protein implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders and the endocannabinoid pathway.

For the first time, Northwestern Medicine scientists have characterized how a genetic mutation associated with pediatric epilepsy affects neuron activity.

Homer1, a protein that’s important for neural plasticity and learning, is part of a large network of proteins in the brain that help ensure new connections are wired correctly, according to a new study.

Small projections of dendritic spines known as spinules are unexpectedly dynamic, while a stable subgroup may form multi-synaptic spine connections, according to the first detailed study of their behavior.

Scientists have discovered why a specific genetic mutation causes intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder in children.

Mutations in the gene BIN1 may weaken synapses, hurting neural communication and contributing to the development of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a recent study.