Brian Theyel, M.D., Ph.D. is a Psychiatrist with a research interest in basic neuroscience. His work concentrates on the investigation of how unique properties of interneurons relate to neuropsychiatric disease. He has most recently discovered that an important inhibitory interneuron puts “the brakes” on brain activity by firing repeatedly in the “backward” direction when activity levels get too high. He is currently working to understand how these neurons sense elevated levels of brain activity and engage this mechanism, and believes that the myriad of mutations that both alter these inhibitory brain cells and are known to cause human disease might impact this property. His main methodologic research involves the whole-cell patch-clamp technique, local field potential recordings, in vitro neuroimaging, a cell-specific gene knockout strategy, and advanced neuroanatomical techniques. Dr. Theyel is also a clinician in the psychiatric emergency room at Butler Hospital, supervises residents in the Residency Continuity Clinic, teaches a several courses for psychiatry residents including a longitudinal seminar series entitled “Evidence-Based Medicine,” and co-directs the Brain & Behavior course at the Warren Alpert Medical School. His work is supported by the Brown Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, NINDS, the Norman Prince Neurosciences Institute, the Carney Foundation, and the Simons Foundation.
