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INFORMATION FOR

Amy Arnsten, PhD

Albert E. Kent Professor of Neuroscience and Professor of Psychology
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Additional Titles

Member, Kavli Institute of Neuroscience at Yale University

About

Titles

Albert E. Kent Professor of Neuroscience and Professor of Psychology

Member, Kavli Institute of Neuroscience at Yale University

Biography

Dr. Arnsten is an international expert on the molecular regulation of higher cortical circuits, and a member of the National Academy of Medicine. She received her B.A. in Neuroscience from Brown University in 1976 (where she created the Neuroscience major), and her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from UCSD in 1981. She did post-doctoral research with Dr. Susan Iversen at Cambridge University in the UK, and with Dr. Patricia Goldman-Rakic at Yale. Dr. Arnsten's research examines the neural basis of higher cognition. Her work has revealed that the newly evolved cortical circuits that underlie higher cognition are uniquely regulated at the molecular level, conferring vulnerability in mental illness and age-related cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease. Arnsten's research has led to new treatments for cognitive disorders in humans, including the successful translation of guanfacine (IntunivTM) for the treatment of ADHD and related prefrontal cortical disorders.

Last Updated on May 21, 2025.

Appointments

Other Departments & Organizations

Education & Training

PhD
University of California, San Diego (1981)

Research

Overview

The Arnsten Lab studies molecular influences on the higher cognitive functions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), with the overarching goal of developing rational treatments for cognitive disorders and mental illness. The lab uses a multi-disciplinary approach to understand mechanisms influencing working memory at the cellular and behavioral levels. Research has focused on how the arousal pathways rapidly alter PFC network strength through intracellular signaling mechanisms, a process termed Dynamic Network Connectivity. Our data explain how exposure to stress and/or inflammation causes the rapid loss of PFC cognitive abilities, and how genetic mutations in molecules that regulate these pathways can lead to symptoms of mental illness. Dysregulation of these pathways with advancing age leads to loss of neuronal firing, cognitive impairments,and increased vulnerability for degeneration including tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease. Understanding these mechanisms has led to successful new treatments for patients with PFC dysfunction, including medications for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, long-COVID and delirium.

Medical Research Interests

Aging; Alzheimer Disease; Behavioral Sciences; Cognitive Science; Mental Health; Neurobiology; Neurosciences; Prefrontal Cortex; Psychology, Child; Schizophrenia; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Public Health Interests

Mental Health; Child/Adolescent Health; Aging

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Amy Arnsten's published research.

Publications

2025

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Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

Honors

  • honor

    Member, National Academy of Medicine

    10/07/2017National Award
  • honor

    Goldman-Rakic Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Cognitive Neuroscience

    07/25/2015National Award

Get In Touch

Contacts

Email
Academic Office Number
Mailing Address

Neuroscience

PO Box 208001, 333 Cedar Street

New Haven, CT 06520-8001

United States