Faculty

John F Enwright, PhD

Research Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Contact Details

3811 O'Hara St.
Pittsburgh
 
PA
 
15213
Email

Education & Training

PhD
Biology, University of Virginia
Endrocrinology/Cell Biology, University of Virginia

Research Interests

Transcriptomics in human postmortem brain
Selected Research Publications & Products
  1. Arion D, Enwright JF 3rd, Gonzalez-Burgos G, Lewis DA. Cell type-specific profiles and developmental trajectories of transcriptomes in primate prefrontal layer 3 pyramidal neurons: Implications for schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry. 2024 Oct 1;181(10):920-934.
  2. Enwright Iii JF, Arion D, MacDonald WA, Elbakri R, Pan Y, Vyas G, Berndt A, Lewis DA. Differential gene expression in layer 3 pyramidal neurons across 3 regions of the human cortical visual spatial working memory network. Cereb Cortex. 2023 Feb 20;33(5):1581-1594.
  3. Arion D, Enwright JF, Gonzalez-Burgos G, Lewis DA. Differential gene expression between callosal and ipsilateral projection neurons in the monkey dorsolateral prefrontal and posterior parietal cortices. Cereb Cortex. 2022 Apr 19.
  4. Enwright JF, Sonapala S, Foglio A, Berry R, Fish KN, Lewis DA. Integrity of parvalbumin neurons and perineuronal nets in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of subjects with schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2016 Aug;41(9):2206-14. PMID: 26868058
  5. Enwright Iii JF, Huo Z, Arion D, Corradi JP, Tseng G, Lewis DA. Transcriptome alterations of prefrontal cortical parvalbumin neurons in schizophrenia. Molecular Psychiatry. 2018, Jul; 23(7):1606-1613.

American Journal of Psychiatry: Cell Type-Specific Profiles and Developmental Trajectories of Transcriptomes in Primate Prefrontal Layer 3 Pyramidal Neurons: Implications for Schizophrenia

AJP

In schizophrenia, impaired working memory is associated with transcriptome alterations in layer 3 pyramidal neurons in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Distinct subtypes of layer 3 pyramidal neurons that send axonal projections to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the opposite hemisphere (callosal projection neurons) or the parietal cortex in the same hemisphere (ipsilateral projection neurons) play critical...

New Research: Cortical Layer 3 Pyramidal Neurons and Visual Spatial Working Memory

New Research: Cortical Layer 3 Pyramidal Neurons and Visual Spatial Working Memory

Visual spatial working memory, a core cognitive process, is dependent upon a cortical network composed of multiple nodes, including primary visual, posterior parietal, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices. Within this network, information essential for proper visual spatial working memory function is transferred via projections furnished by pyramidal neurons located primarily in cortical layer 3. Across the primate...

The American Journal of Psychiatry: Diagnosis- and Cell Type-Specific Mitochondrial Functional Pathway Signatures in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

Glausier et al AJP 2021

Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder share genetic and environmental risk factors, and in some cases, certain clinical features such as cognitive impairments and psychosis. Mitochondrial dysfunction is proposed to contribute to the functional, morphological, and molecular brain alterations that may underlie the common features of these disorders. However, mitochondria are critical for multiple biological processes...

Now in The Journal of Neuroscience: Regional Differences among Pyramidal neurons in the Working Memory Cortical Network

Gonzalez-Burgos et al. 2019 Journal of Neuroscience

Working memory, the ability to maintain a limited amount of information “in mind” to guide everyday thoughts and behaviors, is a core cognitive process. Its function depends on activity in a network of brain areas distributed across the cerebral cortex. Each of these areas display different patterns of activity while information is being maintained. These differences are correlated with, and might depend on...

Translational Neuroscience Program Faculty Show Circadian Rhythms Regulate Reward through Metabolic Signaling in the Brain

Circadian rhythms are near 24-hour oscillations controlling many aspects of physiology and behavior. The coordination and orchestration of these rhythms maintain homeostasis throughout the body. Evidence from humans suggests disruptions to circadian rhythms and sleep are linked to several psychiatric disorders, including substance use and abuse disorders. Indeed, several human and animal studies have demonstrated...