Joseph Manuel Villarin, MD, PhD completed his undergraduate studies at Columbia College, where he concentrated in biological sciences and history. He subsequently received his PhD and MD from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons. His thesis work in the lab of Dr. Ulrich Hengst investigated how localized synthesis of molecular motor cofactors regulates vesicular trafficking within the neuronal axon, resulting in a first-author publication in Nature Communications. In terms of future research, he is interested in applying his background in cell biology to studying alterations in brain connectivity and plasticity that underlie pathology in conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder as well as the shared pathways leading to serious mental illness and other neurological conditions.
