Conor Michael Liston

Conor Michael Liston is a Professor of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, and Developmental Psychobiology at Weill Cornell Medical College (Cornell University) since 2023. His research bridges neural circuit analysis, clinical psychiatry, and computational neuroscience to develop precision medicine approaches for mood disorders.

• Education:
  • A.B., Harvard College (2002)
  • Ph.D., The Rockefeller University (2007)
  • M.D., Weill Cornell Medical College (2008)

Research Interests focus on:

• Neuroplasticity in depression and stress-related disorders
• Brain circuit mapping using multi-echo fMRI and optogenetics
• Neurostimulation (TMS, LFMS) for treatment-resistant depression
• Biomarker development for antidepressant response prediction
• Machine learning applications in psychiatric subtyping
• Stress neurobiology and its impact on executive function

Selected Research Contributions demonstrate expertise in:

• Neuroimaging to guide personalized TMS targets
• Molecular psychiatry exploring BDNF and GPCR mechanisms
• Optopharmacology techniques for circuit-specific drug delivery
• Developmental neuroscience of reward-seeking behavior
• Connectomics of depression subtypes
• Microbiome-brain interactions in fear extinction

Research Funding includes major grants from:

• National Institute of Mental Health
• National Institute on Aging
• Hope for Depression Research Foundation
• Burroughs Wellcome Fund
• Delix Therapeutics collaboration