Felipe Méndez-Salcido, M.D., Ph.D.

Research

In the McAllister lab, I will explore how dysregulation in dopamine signaling can drive the altered cognitive behaviors characteristic of schizophrenia. Alterations in the neurotransmitter dopamine physiology is the longest-standing hypothesis behind schizophrenia symptoms. The mechanisms that underlie this disruption, and which specific pathways they target, are not well understood. The McAllister lab has developed a neurodevelopmental mouse model of schizophrenia in which manipulating the maternal immune system during pregnancy increases the appearance of schizophrenia-like cognitive changes in the offspring. Now, using an array of sophisticated methods in live imaging and electrophysiology, I will assess the changes in dopamine release in different neuronal circuits in this animal model, determine whether manipulating dopamine dynamics can restore neural activity and improve the animals’ performance in behavioral tests assessing impulsivity, attention, motivation, and cognitive flexibility—functions that are impaired by schizophrenia. My work has promising implications for the understanding of this neuropsychiatric condition and the development of novel therapeutic strategies.