Michael J. Gandal
University of Pennsylvania · Rehabilitation Medicine
Active 1997–2026
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About
Michael J. Gandal, MD, Ph.D., is the William & Noreen Hetznecker Associate Professor in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. He is a Faculty Investigator at the Lifespan Brain Institute (LIBI) at Penn Med and the Children’s Hospital Philadelphia (CHOP). His research integrates computational biology and functional genomics to understand the genetic mechanisms contributing to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, with a focus on identifying novel therapeutic targets. Dr. Gandal's expertise encompasses psychiatric genetics, functional genomics, transcriptomics, and human brain development. His work involves leveraging genome-wide association studies (GWAS), whole genome sequencing, and gene network biology to study conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. He is actively involved in investigating the genetic landscape across multiple psychiatric disorders and translating these findings into biological understanding, contributing significantly to the field of neurogenomics.
Research topics
- Biology
- Genetics
- Neuroscience
- Medicine
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Clinical psychology
- Computer Science
- Computational biology
- Immunology
Selected publications
Mapping genomic loci implicates genes and synaptic biology in schizophrenia
Nature · 2022 · 2693 citations
, much of which is attributable to common risk alleles. Here, in a two-stage genome-wide association study of up to 76,755 individuals with schizophrenia and 243,649 control individuals, we report common variant associations at 287 distinct genomic loci. Associations were concentrated in genes that are expressed in excitatory and inhibitory neurons of the central nervous system, but not in other tissues or cell types. Using fine-mapping and functional genomic data, we identify 120 genes (106 pro…
Single-cell multi-cohort dissection of the schizophrenia transcriptome
Science · 2024 · 125 citations
The complexity and heterogeneity of schizophrenia have hindered mechanistic elucidation and the development of more effective therapies. Here, we performed single-cell dissection of schizophrenia-associated transcriptomic changes in the human prefrontal cortex across 140 individuals in two independent cohorts. Excitatory neurons were the most affected cell group, with transcriptional changes converging on neurodevelopment and synapse-related molecular pathways. Transcriptional alterations includ…
A data-driven single-cell and spatial transcriptomic map of the human prefrontal cortex
Science · 2024-05-23 · 64 citations
articleOpen accessThe molecular organization of the human neocortex historically has been studied in the context of its histological layers. However, emerging spatial transcriptomic technologies have enabled unbiased identification of transcriptionally defined spatial domains that move beyond classic cytoarchitecture. We used the Visium spatial gene expression platform to generate a data-driven molecular neuroanatomical atlas across the anterior-posterior axis of the human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Integrat…
Massively parallel characterization of regulatory elements in the developing human cortex
Science · 2024-05-23 · 61 citations
articleOpen accessNucleotide changes in gene regulatory elements are important determinants of neuronal development and diseases. Using massively parallel reporter assays in primary human cells from mid-gestation cortex and cerebral organoids, we interrogated the cis-regulatory activity of 102,767 open chromatin regions, including thousands of sequences with cell type-specific accessibility and variants associated with brain gene regulation. In primary cells, we identified 46,802 active enhancer sequences and 164…
JAMA Psychiatry · 2022 · 55 citations
Importance: Suicide is a leading cause of death; however, the molecular genetic basis of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (SITB) remains unknown. Objective: To identify novel, replicable genomic risk loci for SITB. Design, Setting, and Participants: This genome-wide association study included 633 778 US military veterans with and without SITB, as identified through electronic health records. GWAS was performed separately by ancestry, controlling for sex, age, and genetic substructure. Cross-ances…
Recent grants
NIH · $3.1M · 2023–2026
NIH · $3.4M · 2020–2025
NIH · $13k · 2011
Frequent coauthors
- 184 shared
Daniel H. Geschwind
Center for Autism and Related Disorders
- 130 shared
Chunyu Liu
Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics
- 125 shared
Daniel Vo
Center for Autism and Related Disorders
- 81 shared
Andrew E. Jaffe
Johns Hopkins Medicine
- 77 shared
Hyejung Won
Lieber Institute for Brain Development
- 74 shared
Thomas G. Schulze
National Institute of Mental Health
- 71 shared
Thomas M. Hyde
Johns Hopkins University
- 69 shared
Thomas Werge
Labs
Gandal LabPI
Education
- 2017
Residency, Adult Psychiatry
University of California, Los Angeles
- 2013
MD
University of Pennsylvania
- 2011
PhD, Bioengineering
University of Pennsylvania
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