Shinnyi Chou, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Areas of Expertise

  • Children & Adolescents
  • Telepsychiatry
  • Women & Reproductive Health
  • Basic & Translational Neuroscience
  • Psychosis
Shinnyi Chou, MD, PhD

Expertise & Interests

Research Interests

Endocannabinoid system alterations & schizophrenia; Animal models of cannabinoid exposure; Translational research

Clinical Interests

Child, adolescent, & peripartum mental health; Cultural psychiatry; Collaborative & integrated care

Education Interests

Diversity/equity in psychiatry trainee recruitment; Culturally informed psychiatric care

Selected Publications

  1. Chou S, Fish KN, Lewis DA, Sweet RA. Terminal type-specific cannabinoid CB1 receptor alterations in patients with schizophrenia: A pilot study. Neurobiol Dis. 2023 Sep;185:106262. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106262.
  2. Chou S, Ranganath T, Fish KN, Lewis DA, Sweet RA. Cell type specific cannabinoid CB1 receptor distribution across the human and non-human primate cortex. Sci Rep. 2022 Jun 10;12(1):9605. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-13724-x.
  3. Chou S, Wu R, Li M. Long-term impacts of prenatal maternal immune activation and postnatal maternal separation on maternal behavior in adult female rats: Relevance to postpartum mental disorders. Behav Brain Res. 2024 Mar 12;461:114831. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114831.
  4. Chou S, Davis C, Li M. Maternal immune activation and repeated maternal separation alter offspring conditioned avoidance response learning and antipsychotic response in male rats. Behav Brain Res. 2021 Apr 9;403:113145. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113145.
  5. Chou S, Jones S, Li M. Adolescent olanzapine sensitization is correlated with hippocampal stem cell proliferation in a maternal immune activation rat model of schizophrenia. Brain Res. 2015 Aug 27;1618:122-35. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.05.036.
  6. Gopalan P, Spada ML, Shenai N, Kratzer I, Nichols N, Kucherer S, Chou S, Hovis E, Beck S, Glance J. An Overview for the General Psychiatrist Evaluating Patients With Obstetric and Neonatal Complications and Perinatal Loss. Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ). 2024 Jan;22(1):35-43. doi: 10.1176/appi.focus.20230021.
  7. Chou S, Han C, Ouyang JX, Yan Li AS. East Asian Population. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2022 Oct;31(4):745-763. doi: 10.1016/j.chc.2022.05.006. PMID: 36182222.
  8. Shaligram D, Chou S, Chandra RM, Song S, Chan V. Addressing Discrimination Against Asian American and Pacific Islander Youths: The Mental Health Provider's Role. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2022 Jun;61(6):735-738. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2021.11.021.
  9. Chou S, Raml D, Hafner R, Baerentzen B, Hammer S. Implementation of an Integrated Care Learning Experience Within the Psychiatry Clerkship: Nutrition Education of Patients with Serious Mental Illness. Acad Psychiatry. 2018 Jun;42(3):410-414. doi: 10.1007/s40596-017-0780-7.
  10. Siebert AL, Chou S, Toubat O, Adami AJ, Kim H, Daye D, Kwan JM. Factors associated with underrepresented minority physician scientist trainee career choices. BMC Med Educ. 2020 Nov 11;20(1):422. doi: 10.1186/s12909-020-02328-6.
  11. Han C, Chou S, Shaligram D, Chan V, Song S, Edwards S, Gordon-Achebe K. Development of a Culturally Sensitive Asian American/Pacific Islander Curriculum for Child Psychiatry Trainees. Acad Psychiatry. 2022 Feb;46(1):89-90. doi: 10.1007/s40596-021-01566-0.
  12. Levy LJ, Amin PR, Tobn AL, Baweja R, Veenstra-VanderWeele J, Chou S. Evaluation of a Longitudinal Virtual Research Workshop Series in Fostering Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Research Interests Among Diverse Trainees. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2025 Feb 6:S0890-8567(25)00073-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2024.11.025.

Education & Credentials

Education & Training

Education
MD, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Education
PhD, Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Fellowship
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital
Postdoctoral
Training for Transformative Discovery in Psychiatry T32, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Professional Affiliations

  • Member, Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Selected Honors & Awards

  • John E. Schowalter MD Resident Member of Council, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Early Career Research Colloquium Awardee, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Best Research in Medical Education, Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry