RAN BARZILAY

Ran is a physician-scientist and child and adolescent psychiatrist, with a background in translational neuroscience ranging from molecular neuroscience to clinical studies. He began his research career working with stem cells studying basic science models of neuronal development, consequently moving to translational studies involving G X E paradigms in animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders. When he began his clinical training as a child and adolescent psychiatrist in 2012, he added a clinical perspective to his research, focusing on stress-related disorders and suicide, and studying the role of inflammation in the development of psychiatric disorders. In 2017 Ran joined the Lifespan Brain Institute at CHOP & UPenn where he continues to purses his mission of conducting impactful science that improves the lives of children and adolescents, reduces mental health burden, and prevents suicide. Ran currently sits as an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. 

 

Overall, his work focuses on the effects of developmental stress on psychopathology, attempting to dissect the interplay of genetic (G) and environmental (E) factors underlying susceptibility versus resilience. Ran’s research interests stem from the clinical challenges that he has encountered in his work with children and adolescents seeking psychiatric help. He is especially fascinated by how some patients, with specific risk factors and subthreshold symptomatology, proceed to develop serious psychiatric conditions, while others do not. Whereas substantial research is dedicated to studying risk factors for developmental psychopathology, there remains only a limited understanding of the mechanisms that underpin resilience in developing humans. Resilience, like susceptibility, is influenced by G, E, and their interaction, and is underpinned by measurable genetic, epigenetic, immune, and neurocognitive factors. As a child psychiatrist, he aspires to ultimately leverage this knowledge to advance the prevention and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders in children and adolescents.