The Hunt for Endophenotypes in Autism and Schizophrenia

Department of Psychiatry Special Guest Lecture
Psychiatry

The Hunt for Endophenotypes in Autism and Schizophrenia

John J. Foxe, PhD
Killian J. and Caroline F. Schmitt Chair in Neuroscience; Director, Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience; Professor & Chair, Department of Neuroscience
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
April 3, 2017 - 3:00pm
S120 Biomedical Science Tower

Dr. Foxe is a translational researcher studying the basic neurophysiology of a variety of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric conditions. His work places special emphasis on the identification of endophenotypic markers in childhood neuropsychiatric diseases and in the linking of these biomarkers to the underlying genotype. Prior to his appointment at the University of Rochester, Dr. Foxe held faculty appointments at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the City College of New York. Dr. Foxe’s lab employs an integrated multi-methodological approach to issues in the cognitive neurosciences, using structural and functional neuroimaging, high-density electrophysiology, imaging genomics, eye tracking, psychophysics and virtual reality to understand the neural bases of sensory-perceptual and cognitive functions. The work is translational at its core in that it employs an equal mix of basic-science projects in healthy individuals with clinical studies in patient populations. The core mission of the lab is to understand the underlying neurobiology of neurodevelopmental disorders, with specific emphases on Autism and Schizophrenia, with the goal of developing more effective treatments and interventions through establishing basic knowledge. 

Learning Objectives.  At the conclusion of this lecture, participants will be able to: 

Understand the basic neurophysiology of multisensory integration processes and how they may go awry in children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Understand that early sensory processing in the visual system is disordered in Schizophrenia and that these deficits may be endophenotypic.
Appreciate the concept and potential promise of a multivariate endophenotypic approach to assaying risk for neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric conditions.