In a newly released Genomic Press Interview published in Brain Medicine, Dr. Eric J. Nestler discusses how a simple fascination with brain chemistry grew into a global effort to understand the biological roots of mental illness. As the Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, he reflects on nearly forty years spent investigating how drugs and stress alter human behavior at the molecular level. What began with questions about protein signaling in the laboratory of Nobel laureate Paul Greengard eventually expanded into a detailed picture of how life experiences influence the brain’s genetic activity.
Dr. Nestler’s scientific path started far from a traditional research setting, in the basement of his family’s home in Nassau County, Long Island. Guided by his father, a high school biology teacher in the New York City public school system, he carried out experiments that evolved into award-winning science fair projects. These early experiences shaped his approach to inquiry and set the stage for an academic journey through Yale University, where he completed his BA, PhD, and MD while working in Dr. Greengard’s lab.
His decision to establish a research group at Yale Medical School under the name “The Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry” proved ahead of its time. The idea of applying molecular biology to psychiatric disorders was considered bold, yet Dr. Nestler and colleague Dr. Ron Duman believed the field was ready for that leap.
The name reflected real scientific ambition. Within a few years, Dr. Nestler became the Founding Director of the Division of Molecular Psychiatry at Yale, a role made possible when the current Director, Dr. George Heninger, voluntarily stepped aside. Dr. Nestler often recalls this moment as a defining lesson in generosity and mentorship, one he has carried forward throughout his career.
