My lab focuses on unraveling the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying affective disorders such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite the global health crisis these disorders cause, the last significant breakthrough in antidepressant development occurred over 50 years ago. This is mainly due to the complexity of the neuronal networks and cell types involved in these disorders. To address this challenge, our research uses cell-type-specific approaches to investigate the role of neuronal subpopulations in the pathophysiology of these disorders. We employ a combination of advanced techniques, including tagged ribosome purification assays, spatial transcriptomics, immunohistochemistry, and slice electrophysiology, to ultimately achieve data in a cell-type resolution.

The therapeutic potential of the targets we identify is validated through pharmacological and genetic models, as well as an array of behavioral assays in mice. Additionally, we aim to develop and study novel murine models of depression, anxiety, and PTSD, along with models of innate anxiolytic and protective responses. Through this research, we aspire to uncover new molecular mechanisms that contribute to these disorders and potentially pave the way for future therapeutic interventions.

I am a neuropharmacologist and pharmacist by training. I earned my B. Pharm. from the School of Pharmacy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Fascinated by neuropharmacology, I then pursued a direct PhD track in Prof. Esty Shohami's lab, focusing on traumatic brain injury and the endogenous neuroprotective mechanisms activated after brain injury. My scientific journey continued at Rockefeller University in New York, where I worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Nobel Laureate Dr. Paul Greengard, studying the role of GABAergic neurons in depression and the action of antidepressants.

​Picture of Dr. Gali Umschweif-Nevo: Bruno Charbit