Lieber Institute for Brain Development

Lieber Institute for Brain Development Translating genetic insights into next generation treatments. LIBD partners with academic, pharmaceutical, foundation, and government agencies world-wide.

The Lieber Institute for Brain Development (LIBD) was established in 2010 through the historic gift of Constance & Stephen Lieber and Milton & Tamar Maltz as an independent, not-for-profit medical research institute with end-to-end capabilities under one roof. LIBD translates genetic insights into breakthrough treatments utilizing unparalleled resources in human brain tissue and human cell lines to understand the developmental origins of schizophrenia and related brain disorders. Affiliated with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, LIBD is led by Dr. Daniel Weinberger, formerly the head of the Genes, Cognition and Psychosis Program at the National Institute of Mental Health, and includes a world-class team of scientists with over 200 years’ cumulative experience and 2,500 published scientific papers. The Institute is committed to a collaborative approach and invests in building research networks and partnerships to accelerate scientific discovery.

01/27/2026

Famous last words: “Just one more take!” 📣

01/27/2026

"In a relatively short period of time, we have contributed more to our understanding of the brain mechanisms of serious psychiatric illness, particularly schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, PTSD, maybe su***de, than any other single research enterprise in the world."
-Daniel R. Weinberger, M.D.
Director and CEO of the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, Neuroscience and Genetic Medicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine

Imagine what we will accomplish in the next decade?

🚨 A new kind of pain relief may be on the horizon! 🚨 For millions of people living with IBS, functional dyspepsia, or ch...
01/21/2026

🚨 A new kind of pain relief may be on the horizon! 🚨

For millions of people living with IBS, functional dyspepsia, or chronic gut pain, treatment options often come with serious side effects like drowsiness, mental clouding, or even risk of addiction.
Our scientists have developed a new type of drug candidate designed to relieve gut pain without entering the brain. This breakthrough compound—called LI-633—was created to target pain where it starts: in the body’s peripheral nerves, not the central nervous system.

That means it could help reduce abdominal pain without the sedation or cognitive side effects that often come with traditional medications. It's a promising step toward safer, smarter treatments for chronic gastrointestinal pain. This research also serves as a reminder of how Lieber scientists are rethinking about how we treat brain and body disorders alike.

Read the full summary in our comments below or by checking out our website!

Beau has been busy!Ever wonder how stress affects the brain? We all do! Beau Oster is digging into that question with hi...
01/12/2026

Beau has been busy!

Ever wonder how stress affects the brain? We all do! Beau Oster is digging into that question with his doctoral research. At a recent conference, Beau presented his research on a tiny but powerful part of the brain called the ventral tegmental area (or VTA).

Why does it matter? This area plays a key role in how we respond to stress and understanding it at a deeper level could help unlock new clues about conditions like depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges.

We’re so proud of Beau for helping move this important work forward! 💛

Exciting leadership news from the Lieber Institute for Brain Development!We’re proud to announce that Dr. Keri Martinowi...
01/07/2026

Exciting leadership news from the Lieber Institute for Brain Development!

We’re proud to announce that Dr. Keri Martinowich has been named our new Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), a major milestone as we enter our 15th year of advancing brain research and transforming how we understand and treat neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.

Dr. Martinowich is a world-class neuroscientist with deep roots at Lieber. For more than a decade, she has led pioneering research into how specific genes and brain circuits shape behavior, disease vulnerability, and brain plasticity. Her work bridges cutting-edge science and real-world impact, making her the ideal leader to guide our research into this next chapter.

As CSO, she’ll oversee scientific strategy, foster collaboration across programs, and help drive discoveries that move us closer to effective treatments for brain disorders that affect millions.

🧠 Please join us in congratulating Dr. Martinowich on this well-deserved appointment!

https://www.libd.org/keri-martinowich-ph-d-chief-scientific-officer/

01/05/2026

Proof that we are real people, creating incredible change, AND having fun while we do it!

Big thanks to Geoff for letting us use this footage of him. 🎥

01/02/2026

What makes the Lieber Institute different?

We’re not here to chase funding. We’re here to chase answers. As a non-profit research institute, we don’t spend our days focused on grants or profit margins. Thanks to the initial support of the Lieber family and our incredible donors, our scientists are free to focus on what matters most: solving the mysteries of the brain.

With the world’s largest repository of human brain tissue and generous supporters, we’re advancing mental health research in ways few others can.

As Dr. Weinberger says: “This isn’t about science for money. It’s about money for science.”

12/31/2025

We have a rare opportunity to offer grieving families a sense of hope in the midst of unimaginable loss.
From that first act of generosity, hope takes root and grows into answers that have the power to help millions more.

As we prepare to end another year, it's impossible not to feel incredible thankful for that opportunity. ❤️

12/29/2025

Behind every protocol, every piece of equipment, and every data set is a single mission: to improve the lives of people with mental illness.

You can catch a sneak peak of what we do in the lab by checking out our YouTube channel!

12/26/2025

Several of our supporters have mentioned that contributing to our work helps them feel connected to their lost loved one. Whether that connection is rooted in legacy or in hope, we are honored that we can be part of that feeling.

Who are you donating for? We would love for you to tell us a little about them in the comments. ❤️

12/24/2025

No one ever expects to walk into a research facility after losing someone they love. Yet, here they are, families facing unimaginable grief, choosing to donate in the hope that others won’t have to experience the same loss.

As Dr. Weinberger shares, these moments of tragedy can lead to something deeply meaningful. At Lieber, we’re using the most advanced tools in biomedical science to understand what went wrong and how we can prevent it in the future.

Because every donation is more than a gift. It’s a chance to turn pain into progress and loss into life-saving answers.

12/22/2025

What if treatments could be more targeted, leading to better outcomes and real quality of life improvements? What if the goal wasn’t just to treat illness, but to help people truly thrive? What if that future wasn’t far off... but already in progress?

Dr. Gregory Carr, Lead Investigator in our Drug Discovery Division, heads the in vivo pharmacology team at Lieber. Their mission? To discover new, more effective therapies for neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Thanks to their work, we’re already looking at four promising treatments on the horizon.

But this isn’t just about developing another medication. It’s about building a future where brain disorders no longer define what someone can or cannot do.

And that’s exactly the kind of world we’re working toward. 🌎

Address

855 N. Wolfe Street, Suite 300
Baltimore, MD
21205

Telephone

+14109551000

Website

https://www.libd.org/endmentalillness

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The Lieber Institute for Brain Development (LIBD) was established in 2010 through the historic gift of Constance & Stephen Lieber and Milton & Tamar Maltz as an independent, not-for-profit medical research institute with end-to-end capabilities under one roof. LIBD translates genetic insights into breakthrough treatments utilizing unparalleled resources in human brain tissue and human cell lines to understand the developmental origins of schizophrenia and related brain disorders. Affiliated with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, LIBD is led by Dr. Daniel Weinberger, formerly the head of the Genes, Cognition and Psychosis Program at the National Institute of Mental Health, and includes a world-class team of scientists with over 200 years’ cumulative experience and 2,500 published scientific papers. LIBD partners with academic, pharmaceutical, foundation, and government agencies world-wide. The Institute is committed to a collaborative approach and invests in building research networks and partnerships to accelerate scientific discovery.