Talk

Freedom from Schizophrenia, A Twin's Quest: Cyndi Shannon Weickert

Cyndi Shannon Weickert

TEDxSydney 2014 · 26 April 2014

At 17, Cyndi watched with disbelief as her twin, Scott, descended into madness. Pained by Scott's schizophrenia and not satisfied with available treatments, she aimed to find a cure. Cyndi describes the arduous path she has taken to find better treatments for schizophrenia which offers a ray of hope to those suffering. In this ground breaking talk, Prof Cyndi Shannon Weickert reveals the results of her research into schizophrenia and it's link to the oestrogen receptors in the brain. Prof Shannon Weickert obtained a BA in Biology and Psychology from Keuka College in upstate New York, and earned a PhD in Biomedical Science from Mount Sinai Medical School in New York City. Currently, Prof Shannon Weickert leads a translational research program at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) that uses insights from the molecular and cellular neurodevelopment of schizophrenia to design and test novel treatments for people with the condition. Her work has broad impact beyond psychiatry including examining molecular mechanisms by which hormones and growth factors cooperate to control gene expression and experimental examination of how sex hormones impact social development in adolescence. She has made pivotal contributions to the conceptualisation of schizophrenia as a neurodevelopmental disorder and is best known for her pioneering work on brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) and oestrogen receptor. Prof Shannon Weickert has delivered 132 papers and lectures worldwide. She is Macquarie Group Foundation Chair of Schizophrenia Research, a joint position between NeuRA, UNSW and Schizophrenia Research Institute.

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