Dr. Mbemba Jabbi is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School. He trained as a Clinical Neuroscientist at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, and at the US National Institutes of Health. He heads the Affective Neurogenetics laboratory that studies neuroanatomical and molecular genetic markers for affective/mood dysfunctions. His research studies include neuroimaging experiments focused on localizing brain circuitry abnormalities associated with depressed and manic mood states. His team uses knowledge of neurobiological abnormalities to study further molecular abnormalities associated with prevalent mood dysfunctions and suicide risk factors in humans. 

The overarching goal of Jabbi’s work is to identify brain anatomical and molecular biomarkers that could inform mechanisms for severe mental illness. His long-term goal is to contribute to discovering new medicines and making vital medicines sustainably available and affordable for sick people throughout the world, including people from low-resourced countries across Africa.