Drawing on personal experience with depression and anxiety, this researcher studies synaptic adhesion molecules—key proteins that shape how neural connections form and adapt. By understanding how these molecules change across development, the work aims to uncover molecular mechanisms behind neuropsychiatric disorders and inform future treatments or prevention strategies.

Psychiatric symptoms often precede neurodegenerative diseases, but the biological link remains unclear. This research examines the FMR1 gene using postmortem brain tissue to uncover shared molecular mechanisms, aiming to predict neurodegeneration earlier, improve treatment strategies, and reframe psychiatric symptoms as potential early warning signs.