Schahram Akbarian, MD, PhD
img_Schahram Akbarian
PROFESSOR | Genetics and Genomic Sciences
PROFESSOR | Psychiatry
PROFESSOR | Neuroscience
Research Topics
Depression, Schizophrenia
Multi-Disciplinary Training Area
Disease Mechanisms and Therapeutics (DMT), Neuroscience [NEU]
Dr. Akbarian’s research interests include epigenetic determinants of normal and diseased human brain development, with implications for the neurobiology of major psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, autism and depression. This work is largely focused on charting DNA and histone modification landscapes, and more generally, genome organization, in specific cell types from brain. These clinical studies are complemented by preclinical research, exploring novel avenues for treatment of psychiatric disease in cell cultures and animal models with specific mutations in proteins regulating chromatin and chromosomal architectures.

Key words: nucleosome, epigenome, histone methylation, neuronal nucleus, prefrontal cortex, mood disorder, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder
Publications

Selected Publications

Mir125b-2 imprinted in human but not mouse brain regulates hippocampal function and circuit in mice. Ming Yi Chou, Xuhui Cao, Kuan Chu Hou, Meng Han Tsai, Chih Yu Lee, Meng Fai Kuo, Vin Cent Wu, Hsin Yi Huang, Schahram Akbarian, Sheng Kai Chang, Chung Yi Hu, Shu Wha Lin, Hsien Sung Huang. Communications Biology

Control-independent mosaic single nucleotide variant detection with DeepMosaic. Xiaoxu Yang, Xin Xu, Martin W. Breuss, Danny Antaki, Laurel L. Ball, Changuk Chung, Jiawei Shen, Chen Li, Renee D. George, Yifan Wang, Taejeong Bae, Yuhe Cheng, Alexej Abyzov, Liping Wei, Ludmil B. Alexandrov, Jonathan L. Sebat, Dan Averbuj, Subhojit Roy, Eric Courchesne, August Y. Huang, Alissa D’Gama, Caroline Dias, Christopher A. Walsh, Javier Ganz, Michael Lodato, Michael Miller, Pengpeng Li, Rachel Rodin, Robert Hill, Sara Bizzotto, Sattar Khoshkhoo, Zinan Zhou, Alice Lee, Alison Barton, Alon Galor, Chong Chu, Craig Bohrson, Doga Gulhan, Eduardo Maury, Elaine Lim, Euncheon Lim, Giorgio Melloni, Isidro Cortes, Jake Lee, Joe Luquette, Lixing Yang, Maxwell Sherman, Michael Coulter, Andrew J. Chess, Schahram Akbarian. Nature Biotechnology

Comprehensive multi-omic profiling of somatic mutations in malformations of cortical development. Changuk Chung, Xiaoxu Yang, Taejeong Bae, Keng Ioi Vong, Swapnil Mittal, Catharina Donkels, H. Westley Phillips, Zhen Li, Ashley P.L. Marsh, Martin W. Breuss, Laurel L. Ball, Camila Araújo Bernardino Garcia, Renee D. George, Jing Gu, Mingchu Xu, Chelsea Barrows, Kiely N. James, Valentina Stanley, Anna S. Nidhiry, Sami Khoury, Gabrielle Howe, Emily Riley, Xin Xu, Brett Copeland, Yifan Wang, Se Hoon Kim, Hoon Chul Kang, Andreas Schulze-Bonhage, Carola A. Haas, Horst Urbach, Marco Prinz, David D. Limbrick, Christina A. Gurnett, Matthew D. Smyth, Shifteh Sattar, Mark Nespeca, David D. Gonda, Katsumi Imai, Yukitoshi Takahashi, Hsin Hung Chen, Jin Wu Tsai, Valerio Conti, Renzo Guerrini, Orrin Devinsky, Wilson A. Silva, Helio R. Machado, Gary W. Mathern, Alexej Abyzov, Andrew J. Chess, Schahram Akbarian. Nature Genetics

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Physicians and scientists on the faculty of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai often interact with pharmaceutical, device and biotechnology companies to improve patient care, develop new therapies and achieve scientific breakthroughs. In order to promote an ethical and transparent environment for conducting research, providing clinical care and teaching, Mount Sinai requires that salaried faculty inform the School of their relationships with such companies.

Dr. Akbarian did not report having any of the following types of financial relationships with industry during 2022 and/or 2023: consulting, scientific advisory board, industry-sponsored lectures, service on Board of Directors, participation on industry-sponsored committees, equity ownership valued at greater than 5% of a publicly traded company or any value in a privately held company. Please note that this information may differ from information posted on corporate sites due to timing or classification differences.

Mount Sinai's faculty policies relating to faculty collaboration with industry are posted on our website. Patients may wish to ask their physician about the activities they perform for companies.