Multiple disorders

Joanna Molly Dragich, Ph.D., at Columbia University will investigate how biological pathways govern the formation of white matter axonal tracts. The goal is to deepen understanding of how genes can impact cognitive function. Dr. Dragich will study genetic mutations with a gene called WDFY3 that have appeared in patients with schizophrenia and in one patient with ASD. Studying mice carrying these mutations, she hopes to elucidate the mutations’ impact on brain signaling, specifically in white matter.