Researchers

Faculty with expertise in neurology, neuroscience, critical care and sleep medicine, clinical immunology, genetics and genomics, and pharmacology and systems therapeutics from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai work with faculty from Rutgers University and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to conduct the Center’s research.

Center Research Investigators, 2020-2025

Giulio Maria Pasinetti, MD, PhD, Center contact PI and Project 1 Lead, Saunders Family Chair and Professor of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 

James Murrough, PhD, co-PI and Project 2 Lead, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, and Director of the Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 

James Simon, PhD, Botanical Core Lead, Distinguished Professor of Plant Biology, Member New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition & Health, and Associate Director, Rutgers Center for Sensory Sciences & Innovation, Rutgers University

Mario Ferruzzi, PhD, Botanical Core, Professor, Director, Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences 

Qing-Li Wu, PhD, CORE B, Rutgers Center for Sensory Sciences & Innovation, Rutgers University 

Maxine Marchidan, Project 2, Clinical Research Coordinator, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Elizabeth Karpman, Project 2, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Leah Israel, Project 2, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Matthew Dobbs, Project 2, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Ronjon Banerjee, MD, Project 2, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Philip Bonanno, MD, Project 2, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Li Shen, PhD, Core A, Biostatistician, Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 

Molly Estill, PhD, Core A, Biostatistician, Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 

Julia Clark, Project 2, Program Assistant, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 

Susan Gursahai, Project 1, Administrative Coordinator, Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Joshua Palmieri, Project 1, Program Assistant, Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Eun-Jeong Yang, PhD, Project 1, Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Sean Naughton, PhD, Project 1, Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 

Ruth Iban-Arias, PhD, Project 1, Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Aurelian Radu, PhD, Project 1, Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

 

Center Research Investigators, 2015-2020 

Jun Wang, PhD, Project 1 Leader and Core C Leader, Associate Professor of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Wei Zhao, PhD, Project 2 Leader, Associate Professor of Medicine, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Andrew Varga, MD, Project 2 Leader, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Lap Ho, PhD, Project 3 Leader, Associate Professor of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Jeremiah Faith, PhD, Project 3 Leader, Assistant Professor of Genetics and Genomic Sciences and of Medicine, Clinical Immunology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Richard Dixon, PhD, Core B Leader, Professor of Biological Sciences and Distinguished Research Professor, University of North Texas

Ming Hu Han, PhD, Core C Leader, Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics and of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

James Simon, PhD, Core B Leader, Director of The New Use Agriculture and Natural Plant Products Program, Rutgers University

Patrick Hof, MD, Core A Investigator, Regenstreif Professor of Neuroscience and Vice-Chair for the Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Qing-Li Wu, PhD, Core B Investigator, Assistant Research Professor in the New Use Agriculture and Natural Plant Products Program, Rutgers University

Shrishalim Yemul, PhD, Associate Researcher, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Libby Ward, Associate Researcher, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Susan Gursahai, Program Manager and Overall Administration

Miriam Merad, MD, PhD, Project 1 Collaborator, Professor of Oncological Science and of Medicine (Hem/Onc division), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Jeffrey Gordon, MD, Project 3 Collaborator, Director of Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology and Professor of Pathology/Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine

Stephen Salton, MD, PhD, Core A Collaborator, Professor of Neuroscience and of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Gregory Elder, MD, Core B Collaborator. Research Professor of Psychiatry and of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Reginald Miller, MD, Core C Collaborator, Associate Professor and Director of Center for Comparative Medicine and Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Edwin Ted Abel, PhD, Project 2 Consultant, Brush Family Professor of Biology, University of Pennsylvania 

Stephen Talcott, PhD, Project 3 Consultant, Professor of Food Chemistry, Texas A&M University

Simoni Tiano, Associate Researcher, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

James Schmeidler, PhD, Statistician, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and of Biomathematical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Tai Frolinger, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Chad Smith, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Benjamin Lucas, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Ming Hu, PhD, External Advisory Committee Chair, Professor of Pharmaceutics, University of Houston College of Pharmacy

Tracy Bale, PhD, External Advisory Committee Member, Professor of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania

Ronald Duman, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Yale University

David Dinges, PhD, Professor of Sleep and Chronobiology, University of Pennsylvania

Federico Rey, PhD, External Advisory Committee Member, Assistant Professor of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin – Madison

Breanna Valcarcel, Associate Researcher, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Risham Singh, Associate Researcher, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Sterre de Boer, Medical Exchange Student, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Adelaida Esteban-Fernandez, PhD Candidate

Stephen Sims, Associate Researcher, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Ali Sharma, PhD, Senior Scientist, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai