Lieber Institute for Brain Development
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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.
09/28/2026
🎉 Celebrating Kelsey! 🎉
The team celebrated Kelsey’s last day as a Research Assistant and wished her well as she begins her next chapter.
Thank you, Kelsey, for being part of the Lieber community! ❤️
09/25/2026
Lieber scientists ask what happens in the brain that makes some people take their own lives. The Lieber Institute is uniquely positioned for this research since many of our postmortem brain collection samples come from people who died by su***de. Those samples are precious in research on su***de because the biology of su***de—the underlying mechanisms that made the su***de possible—is fixed in the brain at the time of death.
Lieber researchers are looking at these biological snapshots of what occurred in the brain at the moment of su***de completion to determine what’s different about these brains. Lieber Institute researchers are even considering different types of su***de to find biological differences and similarities. The Institute’s researchers are working on a potential new treatment to reduce suicidal thoughts and prevent attempts.
“I study su***de as a separate entity with its own specific complexity and phenomenology. Severe anxiety, agitation, and impulsivity may be better indicators of suicidal behavior than a psychiatric diagnosis. There are no pharmacologic treatments to address su***de specifically. It’s imperative that we find ways to protect affected patients from the risk of harming themselves.”
Giovanna Punzi, MD, PhD, Research Scientist
09/23/2026
Congratulations to Stephanie Page, Ph.D., on her promotion to Investigator at the Lieber Institute!
We’re excited to celebrate this next step in Stephanie’s career and her continued contributions to research at the Institute.
For those who have lost someone to su***de, grief can carry a particular kind of weight - the memories of who they were, the moments you wish you could have back, and all the moments you wish you could have had.
This Su***de Prevention Awareness Month, we’re sharing one sister’s story of losing her brother to su***de.
Her words are a reminder that behind every loss is a person who was deeply loved, and a community forever changed by their absence.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline.
09/18/2026
The smiles of Lieber Institute for Brain Development. These photos made us smile so much, we just couldn’t help but share them with you all! 😄
Stephanie Cerceo Page, Ph.D. joined the Lieber Institute in the fall of 2013 as a Postdoctoral Fellow, and moved to a role as a Staff Scientist, then Staff Scientist II, before her current role as a Research Scientist in 2023. Her group is particularly interested in using advanced imaging and transcriptomic techniques in the postmortem human brain, rodent brain and cell culture models to study the role of various genetic risk factors in the development of neuropsychiatric illness. She also serves as Director of the LIBD Imaging Facility, where she oversees the Institute’s Imaging program and microscopy facility. She is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University and earned her PhD at the University of Maryland, Baltimore where she studied dendritic protein synthesis during long-term potentiation in the hippocampus, a critical step in memory formation. Her post-doctoral work at the Institute focused on the role of neuronal activity and the psychiatric risk gene Tcf4 in cortical development.
09/14/2026
On the path toward treatments, cures and prevention.
The silence surrounding mental health conditions and aging-brain disorders is slowly breaking, yet the need for understanding and effective solutions has never been greater. Millions of lives are touched by these conditions, a reality that underscores the urgency of our mission at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development.
We are taking bold steps, driven by scientific inquiry and fueled by the precious gift of brain donation, to forge a new era in mental and brain healthcare. We are not just studying the brain; we are actively building pathways to better treatments, potential cures, and even prevention.
Explore with us the impact of this critical work and discover how, together, we are shaping a future where mental illness and aging-brain disorders no longer define lives.
09/11/2026
Lieber cannot maintain our momentum without you.
Support the science.
Invest in discovery.
Give to create treatments for people who need relief now.
https://lieber.donorsupport.co/page/donate
09/09/2026
Creating New Treatments That Work
From single cells to vast neural circuits, we map the root causes of mental illness and brain aging diseases to drive precision treatment and prevention.
Founded in 2010, we're moving beyond incremental change. Built for speed and innovation, we already have multiple transformative treatments in development and continue to rewrite what's possible for these "incurable" disorders.
09/07/2026
With more than 5,000 brain donations and the largest collection of living patient-derived brain stem cell lines, we enable discovery at a scale unmatched anywhere in the world. 🌏
The courage of our brain donor families guides our work every day, driving us toward one goal: to treat and prevent mental illness for every person, everywhere. ❤️
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