Bridging the Brain and Behavior in Psychiatric Research

The Pittenger lab approaches their work from multiple angles, combining insights from molecular biology, brain circuitry, psychology, and clinical treatment.

At the molecular level, his team is studying genetic mutations that cause conditions like Tourette syndrome, tracing how mutations in a single gene can disrupt brain development. At the cellular level, the research team investigates how early-life stress rewires brain circuits differently in males and females. And on the treatment side, Pittenger’s team has completed several clinical trials, including the first placebo-controlled study of psilocybin as a therapeutic for OCD.

This multi-pronged approach is essential, says Pittenger, because unlike kidney disease or pneumonia, psychiatric disorders aren’t well-defined entities.

“It’s not just a cellular problem. It’s not just a neurotransmitter problem. It’s not just a neural circuit problem. It’s not just a psychological problem,” Pittenger says. “We need to integrate across all of these levels, and that’s really hard.” His lab’s success in doing that, he says, is due to the people he’s brought in.

“Our research program has grown to be very broad because I’ve been fortunate in the trainees who’ve come to work with me,” he says. “They bring new perspectives to the work. We develop new ideas together, and when they succeed, I succeed too.”