Helen E. Scharfman

Helen E. Scharfman is a Professor holding triple appointments in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, and Department of Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Her research program bridges clinical psychiatry and basic neuroscience with a focus on neural circuit mechanisms underlying neurological disorders.

Her primary research domains include:

• Neural basis of epilepsy and seizure disorders
• Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology and early biomarkers
• Hippocampal electrophysiology and circuit dynamics
• Neuroendocrine regulation of brain function
• Cholinergic system contributions to neurodegeneration
• Adult neurogenesis as a therapeutic target

Recent publications demonstrate consistent investigation of hippocampal excitability patterns across disease models, with particular emphasis on sex-specific hormonal effects, mossy cell dysfunction in dementia, and novel interventions targeting adenosine signaling and choline metabolism. Her work integrates molecular, electrophysiological, and behavioral approaches to identify translational pathways for neurological disorders.