Barlow Family Director, Vanderbilt Brain Institute
Professor, Department of Pharmacology
Vanderbilt University
Scientific Council Member (Joined 2019)
2014 Distinguished Investigator Grant
2010 Independent Investigator Grant
2005 Daniel X. Freedman Award
2003, 2001 Young Investigator Grant
Lisa Monteggia is the Barlow Family Director of the Vanderbilt Brain Institute at Vanderbilt University. Her research focuses on the role of the molecular and cellular basis of neuroplasticity as it pertains to neuropsychiatric disorders. Her research has demonstrated a crucial role for brain-derived growth factor (BDNF) in antidepressant action. She has also identified a novel synaptic mechanism underlying the rapid antidepressant action of ketamine. She also studies the role of Methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2), the gene linked to the autism spectrum disorder, Rett syndrome, on synaptic plasticity and behavior with implications towards a better understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders. Her research encompasses molecular, cellular, behavioral and electrophysiological approaches using preclinical models.
Before moving to Vanderbilt University, Dr. Monteggia held the Ginny and John Eulich Professorship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She is a Councilor for the Society for Neuroscience, a member of the National Institute of Health (NIH) Brain 2.0 Initiative Working Group, and serves on the editorial board of several journals.
Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., serves as the President & CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, the largest private funder of mental health research grants. Dr. Borenstein developed the Emmy-nominated public television program “Healthy Minds,” and serves as host and executive producer of the series. The program, broadcast nationwide, is available online, and focuses on topics in psychiatry in order to educate the public, reduce stigma and offer a message of hope. Dr. Borenstein served as Editor-in-Chief of Psychiatric News, the newspaper of the American Psychiatric Association from 2012 - 2023.
Dr. Borenstein is a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and serves as the Chair of the Section of Psychiatry at the Academy. He also has served as the President of the New York State Psychiatric Association. Dr. Borenstein earned his undergraduate degree at Harvard and his medical degree at New York University.
