In a revealing Genomic Press Interview published coming successful Genomic Psychiatry, Dr. Alexander W. Charney describes really treating patients pinch schizophrenia transformed his technological pursuits from absurd questions to an urgent mission, yet starring to discoveries that situation basal assumptions successful neuroscience research.
The question and reply explores Dr. Charney's creation of nan groundbreaking Living Brain Project astatine Mount Sinai, which has collected complete 300 encephalon insubstantial samples from surviving patients undergoing neurosurgery. His team's findings uncover a startling reality: 80% of genes grounds different look levels successful surviving versus postmortem encephalon tissue, calling into mobility decades of neuroscience investigation based chiefly connected postmortem samples.
From large questions to bold solutions
"I americium drawn to large questions - really things work, really group work," Dr. Charney explains successful nan interview. However, it was his nonstop acquisition treating patients pinch schizophrenia that transformed intelligence curiosity into civilized imperative. "I was struck by really small we genuinely understand nan encephalon astatine a molecular level, peculiarly erstwhile compared to different organs. That spread felt for illustration some a technological situation and a civilized imperative."
This realization propelled Dr. Charney to build unprecedented investigation infrastructure. As Director of nan Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine and Vice Chair of nan Windreich Department of AI successful Human Health astatine Mount Sinai, he recognized that achieving his goals required creating wholly caller systems. "I moved into activity arsenic it became clear to maine that nan systems I needed to execute my goals did not beryllium yet, and nary 1 other was moving connected building them," he shares.
Pandemic arsenic catalyst
The COVID-19 pandemic emerged arsenic a defining infinitesimal successful Dr. Charney's profession trajectory. Having graduated aesculapian schoolhouse successful 2012 and completed residency successful 2018, he represents what he calls "a caller procreation of leaders successful medicine." When nan pandemic struck New York City successful March 2020, he made nan bold determination to redeploy his full laboratory to nan situation consequence effort.
This pivot proved transformative, starring to landmark publications successful Nature Medicine, Cell, and Science. As Lead Principal Investigator, he secured $22 cardinal for nan NIH RECOVER Initiative to study agelong COVID, demonstrating really situation tin accelerate some technological find and activity development.
Building tomorrow's medicine today
Beyond nan Living Brain Project, Dr. Charney co-directs nan Mount Sinai Million Health Discoveries Program, 1 of America's largest precision medicine initiatives. In business pinch Regeneron Genetics Center, nan programme will series 1 cardinal patients complete 5 years, pinch peculiar accent connected advancing wellness equity for underrepresented populations.
The question and reply reveals Dr. Charney's multifaceted attack to advancing psychiatric care. As Executive Director of nan Blau Adolescent Consultation Center for Resilience and Treatment and Head of nan Brain and Data Sciences Lab, he integrates artificial intelligence and instrumentality learning to accelerate therapeutic development. His team's activity spans psychiatric genomics, computational psychiatry, and multi-omics analysis.
A lifelong mission
Throughout nan interview, Dr. Charney's eventual extremity remains clear: processing cures for terrible intelligence illnesses for illustration schizophrenia. "My lifelong extremity is to create cures for terrible intelligence illnesses for illustration schizophrenia. Everything I do successful my profession is pinch an oculus towards that goal," he states, referencing his team's caller Nature Genetics publication connected nan subject.
The question and reply besides captures a lighter infinitesimal from a Mount Sinai retreat, wherever Dr. Charney interviewed Ameca, described arsenic nan world's astir precocious humanoid robot. This interaction, showcasing nan robot's lifelike expressions and conversational abilities, embodied nan institution's bold imagination for AI's domiciled successful healthcare's future.
Values and vision
When discussing nan technological community's challenges, Dr. Charney doesn't mince words astir what he sees arsenic a basal problem: "We person a situation of reproducibility driven by researchers prioritizing individual prestige complete uncovering solutions for patients." His committedness to technological rigor permeates his approach, arsenic he emphasizes nan value of questioning assumptions and ruling retired each replacement explanations earlier accepting findings.
Outside nan laboratory, Dr. Charney finds equilibrium done long-distance oversea kayaking, describing his emotion for spending clip connected rivers, lakes, and oceans. His favourite possession, a Gibson J-200 acoustic guitar named Gertrude, hints astatine nan imaginative outlets that complement his technological pursuits.
Dr. Alexander W. Charney's Genomic Press question and reply is portion of a larger bid called Innovators & Ideas that highlights nan group down today's astir influential technological breakthroughs. Each question and reply successful nan bid offers a blend of cutting-edge investigation and individual reflections, providing readers pinch a broad position of nan scientists shaping nan future. By combining a attraction connected master achievements pinch individual insights, this question and reply style invites a richer communicative that some engages and educates readers. This format provides an perfect starting constituent for profiles that research nan scientist's effect connected nan field, while besides rubbing connected broader quality themes. More accusation connected nan investigation leaders and rising stars featured successful our Innovators & Ideas – Genomic Press Interview bid tin beryllium recovered successful our publications website: https://genomicpress.kglmeridian.com/.
Source:
Journal reference:
Charney, A. W., (2025) Alexander W. Charney: Leveraging genomics to beforehand nan curen of intelligence illness. Genomic Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.61373/gp025k.0077.