Multi-Modal Characterization and In Vitro Modulation of HERV-K Neuroinflammation in Schizophrenia

Overview

One-third of individuals with schizophrenia are treatment-resistant, largely because the disorder’s biological mechanisms are poorly understood, and as a result, current treatments fail to address its root cause. To address this gap, this project investigates the neuroinflammatory profile of schizophrenia using multi-modal analysis, and designs and evaluates targeted therapeutic strategies to modulate the identified mechanism in vitro. To characterize schizophrenia's neuroinflammatory profile, I performed diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging analysis of 147 control-matched participants and hypothesis-driven RNA-sequencing analysis (9 datasets) to identify molecular drivers. In vitro, 2 therapeutic strategies were assessed: an analog to a small molecule I designed aimed at restoring downstream effects and a novel antisense oligonucleotide targeting the upstream HERV-K gag expression. Ultimately, this research supports the development of precision treatments for schizophrenia that improve long term outcomes without extensive side effects, which has the potential to improve the quality of life of individuals with schizophrenia.

Awards (2)

• Silver Medal
• Selected for CWSF 2026

Competition history

• CWSF 2026 Disease & Illness

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