Catherine Marcinkiewcz, Ph.D., M.S.

Catherine Marcinkiewcz, Ph.D., M.S., joined the UF College of Pharmacy in May 2025. Her lab is currently addressing fundamental questions in neurobiology that have direct relevance for human disease. For instance, how do genes interact with the environment to shape circuit function and behavior in neurological disorders and how can we harness that knowledge to develop more effective treatments? The serotonin system is the central focus of the lab, given its complex role in human psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. We are currently investigating how environmental factors like stress, alcohol, and the use of antidepressant drugs can alter serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe and their efferent projections, and how this contributes to stress-related disorders and neurodegenerative disease