Understanding synaptic pathology to transform the treatment of schizophrenia
From synaptic pathology toward disease-modifying therapy
Psychiatric patients too often suffer under a field that can manage symptoms but rarely address root causes. Our laboratory works to change this by uncovering the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, with the goal of identifying disease-modifying therapies. We focus on synaptic pathology, the disruption of connections between neurons that underlies cognition and is impaired in schizophrenia, and we study it across postmortem brain tissue, stem-cell models, and patient-derived samples to move from understanding toward treatment.
What we stand for
Five commitments that shape our science, our priorities, and our culture.
Patients first
Every question we ask begins with the people we serve. The needs and dignity of patients with serious mental illness guide our science, our priorities, and our purpose.
Rigor without compromise
Good science demands honesty and precision. We hold ourselves to the highest methodological standards — testing our assumptions, scrutinizing our results, and pursuing findings that are robust, reproducible, and true.
Standing against stigma
We chose to study serious mental illness precisely because it is so often overlooked and misunderstood. We bring these conditions — and the people who live with them — to the center of medicine, where they belong.
Bridging bench and bedside
We work at the interface of laboratory and clinic, translating molecular discovery into meaning for patients and letting patients’ realities shape the questions we pursue.
Collaboration and curiosity
Breakthroughs come from open minds and shared effort. We cultivate a lab culture of intellectual generosity, mentorship, and genuine curiosity about the brain, the immune system, and one another.
Who maintains this website
This website represents the Kalinowski Laboratory, a Stanford-affiliated research laboratory at Stanford University School of Medicine. The site owner is Agnieszka Kalinowski, MD, PhD (akalinow@stanford.edu).