Welcome to the Shen Lab @ UIowa!

Bridging the gap between basic science and health services research by studying the interface of nature and nurture

Come for the science. Stay for the SHENanigans.

When we think of "personalized medicine", often we think of a drug that is razor-specific to a particular molecular target. However, psychiatry necessitates a broader view than the "one target, one drug" approach, given that: (1) genetic risk factors are shared across psychiatric disorders, and (2) many of our most effective treatments are also the least specific, hitting multiple "nodes" of key cellular pathways and neural circuits.

Our vision is to improve clinical decision-making based on an individual's unique combination of risk factors arising from the complex interplay between their genetic predisposition and dynamic environmental influences. Our mission is to train the next generation of scientists and strengthen our scientific and non-scientific communities through collaboration and engagement.

• Multiscale. We are interested in molecular, cellular, and behavioral phenotypes. We use cellular and animal models and human data.
• Multimodal. We use a wide range of data modalities, including genomics and microscopy imaging.
• Multidisciplinary. We have collaborations across the College of Medicine, College of Pharmacy, College of Engineering, and College of Public Health.

Follow us on BlueSky @ShenLabPsych