Paola Giusti-Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
On This Page
About Paola Giusti-Rodriguez
Dr. Paola Giusti-Rodriguez grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she earned a BS in Biology at the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras. She completed her PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology at Harvard University, where her doctorate research focused on studying the molecular basis of neurodegeneration.
Dr. Giusti-Rodriguez carried out her postdoctoral research with Dr. Patrick Sullivan at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she employed the multi-parental Collaborative Cross mouse population to better understand antipsychotic side effects. Her work lies at the intersection between neuroscience and functional genomics, and she aims to integrate the tools and techniques of these fields to shed light on the genetics of neuropsychiatric disorders.
In 2016, she was awarded a K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award by the National Institute of Mental Health for her work focused on functional genomics of psychiatric disorders. Dr. Giusti-Rodriguez is co-founder of the Latin American Genomics Consortium, which seeks to increase the representation of research participants from Latinx admixed ancestry in genetic studies on psychiatric disorders.
Dr. Giusti-Rodriguez works in the Adult Research Division and conducts research in genetic psychiatric illnesses, with interest in human-based studies of neurodevelopmental disorders (including ASD and schizophrenia), at the UF Center for OCD, Anxiety and Related Disorders (COARD). In addition, she serves as an important academic teacher and mentor for medical students, interns, training residents and promoting the research and educational mission of the McKnight Brain Institute (MBI) for the Department of Psychiatry.
Accomplishments
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ACNP Travel Awardee
2024 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Annual Meeting
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NARSAD Young Investigator Grant
Brain and Behavior Research Foundation
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Sklar Innovation Award- for the establishment of the LAGC
Psychiatric Genomics Consortium
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Travel Award
Society of Biological Psychiatry (SOBP)
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ASHG Human Genetics Scholar
American Society of Human Genetics
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MINDS Class of 2017
Mentoring Institute for Neuroscience Diversity Scholars (MINDS)
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North Coast Conference on Precision Medicine Travel Award
North Coast Conference on Precision Medicine
Teaching Profile
Courses Taught
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GMS6029 – Brain Journal Club
College of Medicine
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GMS6757 – Introduction to Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias: Clinical and Mechanistic Principles
College of Medicine
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GMS6713 – Neurobiol of Behav Disorders
College of Medicine
Research Profile
0000-0002-1921-1305
Publications
Academic Articles
Grants
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Assessing the 3D-genome landscape of mouse models of human psychiatric copy number variants.
Active
- Role:
- Principal Investigator
- Funding:
- BRAIN & BEHAVIOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION
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1/2 Trans-ancestry genomic analysis of obsessive compulsive disorder
Active
- Role:
- Principal Investigator
- Funding:
- UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL via NATL INST OF HLTH NIMH
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Beyond GWAS: High throughput functional Genomics & Epigenome Editing to Elucidate the Effects of Genetic Associations for Schizophrenia
Active
- Role:
- Principal Investigator
- Funding:
- DUKE UNIVERSITY via NATL INST OF HLTH NIMH
Education
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Ph.D. Cell and Developmental Biology
Harvard University
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B.S. Biology
University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras
Contact Details
- Business:
- (352) 294-4925
- Business:
- giustirodriguezp@ufl.edu
- Business Mailing:
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1149 Newel Dr.
GAINESVILLE FL 32611 - Business Street:
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1149 Newel Dr.
GAINESVILLE FL 32611