Primary department: Psychiatry

Secondary department: Neurology

Interdisciplinary program(s): Human Toxicology, Neuroscience

Research description: Dr. Pieper is a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, and is currently Director of Translational Neuroscience in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa.  The Pieper laboratory focuses on the discovery of new treatment options for neuropsychiatric disease, using animal models and pharmacologic screening approaches.  This approach is characterized by the discovery of the P7C3-series of neuroprotective molecules, which offer protection in animal models of Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, peripheral nerve injury, traumatic brain injury and other forms of neurodegeneration.  The Pieper laboratory is also implementing similar discovery approaches to identify new treatment options for autism, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder.