Dr. Henn applies imaging, animal studies, and genetics to understanding the bases of depression and schizophrenia. His group is attempting to use animals modeling depression to identify the genes altered by aversive experience, which may contribute to depression. They are also beginning clinical tests with patients using deep brain stimulation (DBS) to inhibit the habenula, a group of neurons associated with pain processing and negative feedback encoding, as a potential treatment for depression. The successful move from the animal model to working on patients suggests this model may help to identify the pathophysiology of depression. The group feels this lies in altered excitatory transmission in the cortex and has patented a class of drugs that may reverse this.

Dr. Henn has had extensive clinical and administrative experience, chairing a department of psychiatry, running a major international research center in Germany, and recently serving as the Associate Laboratory Director for Life Sciences for 4 years at the Brookhaven National Laboratory.

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