Dr. Marina Picciotto

Biography

Marina Picciotto joined the Yale faculty in 1995 after completing a postdoctoral fellowship in the Jean-Pierre Changeux Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience at the Institut Pasteur in Paris. She earned her Ph.D. in Molecular Neurobiology from Rockefeller University in New York City in 1992 and previously worked in the Laboratory of Molecular Cellular Neuroscience under Paul Greengard. Picciotto received her B.S. in biological sciences from Stanford University in 1985. She serves as Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Neuroscience and is a member of the Scientific Council for the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP). In the 2023-2024 academic year, she is the President of the Society for Neuroscience. Her research interests focus on understanding the role of single molecules in behaviors relevant to psychiatric illnesses, particularly through the lens of acetylcholine signaling and its effects on brain development and function. Picciotto is recognized for her contributions to the field and has received numerous awards, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers and election to the National Academy of Medicine. Current projects explore sex differences in addiction behaviors, the role of cholinergic compounds in developing novel anxiolytics and antidepressants, and the signaling pathways involved in addiction-related behavioral transitions.

Research Interests