Faculty

Marianne L Seney, PhD

Marianne L Seney, PhD

Associate Professor of Psychiatry

Contact Details

450 Technology Drive
Pittsburgh
 
PA
 
15219
Phone 412-624-3072
Email
Website
Seney Lab Website
CARRS Center

Education & Training

PhD
Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts

Professional Affiliations

Associate Member, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
Member, Society of Biological Psychiatry
Member, International Behavioral Neuroscience Society
Member, Society for Neuroscience
Member, Organization for the Study of Sex Differences

Selected Honors & Awards

Honorable Mention, Ziskind-Somerfeld Research Award, Society of Biological Psychiatry
Hamilton Family Award for Basic Neuroscience Research in Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
NARSAD Young Investigator Award, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
NARSAD Young Investigator Award, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
Elected Young Investigator Councilor, Organization for the Study of Sex Differences

Research Interests

Sex differences in psychiatric disorders; Dendritic spine/microglia alterations; depression; Molecular rhythm disruptions in brain disorders
Selected Research Publications & Products
  1. Shelton MA, Horan N, Xue X, Maturin L, Eacret D, Michaud J, Singh N, Williams BR, Gamble MC, Seggio JA, Fish MK, Phan BN, Tseng GC, Blendy JA, Solberg Woods LC, Palmer AA, George O, Logan RW, Seney ML. Sex-specific concordance of striatal transcriptional signatures of opioid addiction in human and rodent brains. Biol Psychiatry Glob Open Sci. 2025 Feb 26;5(3):100476. doi: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2025.100476. PMID: 40248277.
  2. Yoblinski AR, Dubey J, Myers T, Sathees N, Volk DW, Fish KN, Seney ML. Brain region and sex differences in human microglia morphology and function. Cereb Cortex. 2025 May 1;35(5):bhaf120. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhaf120. PMID: 40420495.
  3. Jenkins AK, Shelton MA, Yin R, Gorczyca MT, Zong W, Glausier JR, Lewis DA, Tseng GC, Seney ML, McClung CA. Disentangling transcriptomic heterogeneity within the human subgenual anterior cingulate cortex. Cereb Cortex. 2024 Jul 3;34(7):bhae291. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhae291. PMID: 39051661.
  4. Phan BN, Ray MH, Xue X, Fu C, Fenster RJ, Kohut SJ, Bergman J, Haber SN, McCullough KM, Fish MK, Glausier JR, Su Q, Tipton AE, Lewis DA, Freyberg Z, Tseng GC, Russek SJ, Alekseyev Y, Ressler KJ, Seney ML, Pfenning AR, Logan RW. Single nuclei transcriptomics in human and non-human primate striatum in opioid use disorder. Nat Commun. 2024 Jan 31;15(1):878. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-45165-7. PMID: 38296993.
  5. Logan RW, Xue X, Ketchesin KD, Hoffman G, Roussos P, Tseng G, McClung CA, Seney ML. Sex differences in molecular rhythms in the human cortex. Biol Psychiatry. 2022 Jan 1;91(1):152-162. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.03.005. Epub 2021 Mar 8. PMID: 33934884.

Education Interests

Research mentorship

Pitt Psychiatry’s 2025 Research Day, Part I: A Celebration of Science

Research Day Attendees

The 23rd annual Department of Psychiatry Research Day, held on June 12, 2025, was the most highly attended Research Day ever, with 653 faculty members, trainees, and staff gathering at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum on the University of Pittsburgh campus. Lunchtime Roundtables More than 300 individuals participated in or facilitated one of 30 roundtable discussion groups focused on topics including...

Neuropsychopharmacology: Parvalbumin Interneuron mGlu5 Receptors Govern Sex Differences in Prefrontal Cortex Physiology and Binge Drinking

Dr. Max Joffe

Despite established sex differences in the prevalence and presentation of psychiatric disorders, little is known about the cellular and synaptic mechanisms that guide these differences under basal conditions. Proper function of the prefrontal cortex is essential for the top-down regulation of motivated behaviors. The activity of the prefrontal cortex is tightly controlled by parvalbumin-expressing interneurons, a...

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Promotes Marianne Seney, PhD, to Associate Professor of Psychiatry

Dr. Marianne Seney

We are delighted to announce that Marianne Seney, PhD, has been promoted to Associate Professor of Psychiatry by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Seney earned her PhD in neuroscience and behavior from the University of Massachusetts, then joined the University of Pittsburgh for postdoctoral research training in psychiatry/translational neuroscience and the neurobiology of neurodegenerative...

Biological Psychiatry: Diurnal Alterations in Gene Expression Across Striatal Subregions in Psychosis

Drs. Kyle Ketchesin & Colleen McClung

Psychosis, an impairment that manifests as hallucinations and/or delusions, is a defining feature of schizophrenia and highly prevalent in bipolar disorder. Individuals suffering with these illnesses also have major disruptions in sleep and circadian rhythms, which can precipitate or exacerbate psychotic symptoms. A group of investigators including Kyle Ketchesin, PhD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), Madeline...

Pitt Psychiatry Hosts a Tremendous Research “Half” Day

2021 Research Day

On June 9, 2021, the Department of Psychiatry held its 2nd virtual Research Day, featuring presentations on health equity research, a speed dat(a)ing session, a keynote address, and honors and awards. The event was billed as a Research “Half” Day, as we hope and expect for the second half of the event, a poster session, to occur in person. (Date: October 5, 2021. Stay tuned to our events page for details!) Below is...