Nelson Freimer

Nelson Freimer is a Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA. He serves as Director of UCLA’s Depression Grand Challenge, the Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, and the Neuroscience Genomics Core. His research focuses on identifying genetic bases for neurobehavioral disorders (bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, Tourette Syndrome) and metabolic/cardiovascular conditions using large-scale genomics, non-human primate models, and digital phenotyping. He has pioneered whole-genome sequencing studies and cross-population genetic analyses.

• MD from Ohio State University
• Residency in Psychiatry (UCSF)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Human Genetics (Columbia)

His research interests span genomics, neurobehavioral genetics, psychiatric disorders, and digital phenotyping. He has published extensively on genetic variants in diverse populations, neurocognitive traits, and primate models. Recent work includes leveraging NLP for psychiatric phenotyping and exploring immune/synaptic pathways in bipolar disorder.

Scientific Awards:

• Maggie G. Gilbert Endowed Chair

Freimer’s lab at UCLA (Gonda 3554) collaborates with global consortia on genome-wide studies and mental health initiatives. His grants address depression reduction, genetic diversity in Latin America, and computational biology training. The Biological Samples Processing Core under his direction supports genomic research infrastructure.