Cynthia Shannon Weickert

Professor Cynthia Shannon Weickert, BA MPhil PhD, holds the Macquarie Group Foundation Chair of Schizophrenia Research at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). This joint position spans the Schizophrenia Research Institute, UNSW, and Neuroscience Research Australia. Her work has redefined schizophrenia as a neurodevelopmental disorder, with groundbreaking research on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), estrogen receptors, and postnatal recruitment of cortical inhibitory neurons.

Her research bridges molecular neuroscience and psychiatry, challenging assumptions about human brain development, sex-based differences, and synaptic pruning. She is based in the Schizophrenia Research Laboratory at Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW 2031, and can be contacted at 02 9399 1117.