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 Biography   Rene Hen, Ph.D. Associate Professor New York State Psychiatric Institute Columbia University Dr. Hen and his colleagues are making genetic models of anxiety and depression to study serotonin receptors. The neurotransmitter serotonin is involved in a wide range of behaviors, and serotonergic drugs are used in the treatment of a number of pathological states including depression. At least 14 serotonin receptor subtypes have been identified, each with distinct pharmacological properties, signaling systems and tissue distributions, but their study has been hampered by the lack of specifically matched drugs. Moreover, a number of serotonergic drugs active in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders (for example, antidepressants such as fluoxetine or Prozac) influence the entire serotonergic system, so that it is unclear which receptors are responsible for the antidepressant activities. To dissect the contributions of individual serotonin receptors to mood control, Dr. Hen’s laboratory is generating mutant mice, so-called knock-out mice, in which genes coding for different receptor sub-types are inactivated. This is one of several strategies the researchers are using to identify the neural circuits underlying emotional states. A member of NARSAD’s Scientific Council since 2003, Dr. Hen received a NARSAD Independent Investigator Award in 1998 and a Distinguished Investigator Award in 2003. |
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