Patricia M. Whitaker-Azmitia

Dr. Patricia M. Whitaker-Azmitia is a Professor in the Department of Integrative Neuroscience at Stony Brook University. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto (1979) and specializes in neuropharmacological research focusing on brain development and autism spectrum disorders. Her work examines the roles of neurotransmitters like serotonin and hormones such as progesterone and cortisol in developmental processes, using both animal models and human studies.

Her research explores how obstetrical factors, prenatal stress, and hormonal imbalances (e.g., low progesterone) contribute to autism. Notable hypotheses include the link between maternal progesterone levels and autism incidence, tested through animal models. She has contributed to understanding serotonin pathways in autism using postmortem brain analysis and has pioneered rat models of developmental hyperserotonemia.

Current research emphasizes translating findings from animal models to human clinical insights, aiming to identify therapeutic targets. She has published extensively on neurochemical markers of autism, neurovascular development, and prenatal stress effects. Dr. Whitaker-Azmitia is affiliated with Stony Brook’s SCAN Center and Shared Facilities, collaborating on interdisciplinary neuroscience projects.

Her recent grants include a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences award for studying chlorpyrifos’ effects on oxidative stress in brain development. She currently does not accept graduate students but remains active in training through collaborative projects.