Cynthia Weickert, PhD

Cynthia Weickert, PhD, is a Professor of Neuroscience and Physiology at Upstate Medical University. Her research focuses on the molecular neuropathology of psychotic disorders, particularly neuroinflammation in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Her recent work identifies elevated NF-κB pathway expression and distinct microglial/macrophage mRNA signatures in the midbrain of high-inflammation schizophrenia cases, distinguishing them from bipolar disorder. She has also discovered altered vascular and angiogenic transcripts in the neurogenic niche and reduced BDNF trophic capacity in neuroinflammatory schizophrenia. Her investigations include maternal immune activation models and sex-specific dopamine-related alterations. She has published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, Translational Psychiatry, and Schizophrenia Bulletin.