Monsheel Sodhi, PhD

About

Dr. Sodhi received her degree in Pharmacy at the UCL School of Pharmacy at the University of London (U.K.). She subsequently achieved a Master’s degree in Neuroscience and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the Institute of Psychiatry and Maudsley Hospital at Kings College London. Her postdoctoral training, funded by a Medical Research Council training fellowship, was in Molecular Pathology at the Department of Psychiatry at Oxford University, and in Molecular Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University. Prior to joining the faculty at the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics at Loyola University Chicago, she was a faculty member at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Dr. Sodhi has received two young investigator awards from the National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression, an award from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and a young investigator award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. She has also received Scholar’s Awards from the Health Services Foundation and the Hans W. Vahlteich Research Fund. Dr. Sodhi has over 15 years’ experience in the field of molecular neuroscience, including published work in the Lancet, Molecular Psychiatry, Molecular Pharmacology and Biological Psychiatry. She serves on the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Addiction and Neuropharmacology and the Austin Journal of Pharmacology & Therapeutics and as a member UIC Brain Collection for Psychiatric Disorders and of the Tissue Review Panel of the NSW Brain Bank.

Research Interests

Monsheel Sodhi B. Pharm., Ph.D.

Dr. Monsheel Sodhi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago. Dr. Sodhi’s laboratory has a longstanding commitment to translate discoveries from molecular neuroscience to improve our understanding of psychiatric illnesses that are associated with suicide.

Projects:

• Molecular genomic and transcriptional abnormalities underpinning the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders
• Biomarkers of suicide and response to psychotropic drugs
• The mechanisms of psychotropic drug efficacy and side-effects
• Neural circuit deficits in schizophrenia and mood disorders
• Developing and maintaining postmortem psychiatric brain collections
• The impact of RNA editing on suicide risk.
• Glutamatergic abnormalities in major psychiatric disorders.

Lab/Research Program website: http://sodhilaboratory.strikingly.com

Professional & Community Affiliations

Society for Biological Psychiatry (SOBP), Society for Neuroscience (SfN), American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET).

Selected Publications

• McCarthy M, Buck TG, Sodhi M. Prenatal stress modifies spatial cognition in mice: effects of age and sex. bioRxiv. 2024:2024.02. 23.581828.
• Buck TG, Dong E, McCarthy M, Guidotti A, Sodhi M. Prenatal Stress Alters Transcription of NMDA-Type Glutamate Receptors in the Hippocampus. Neuroscience Letters, Vol 836, 2024, 137886, ISSN 0304-3940.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2024.137886. 
• Broni E, Striegel A, Ashley C, Sakyi PO, Peracha S, Velazquez M, Bebla K, Sodhi M, Kwofie SK, Ademokunwa A. Molecular docking and dynamics simulation studies predict potential anti-ADAR2 inhibitors: Implications for the treatment of cancer, neurological, immunological, and infectious diseases. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2023;24(7):6795.
• Broni E, Ashley C, Velazquez M, Khan S, Striegel A, Sakyi PO, Peracha S, Bebla K, Sodhi M, Kwofie SK. In Silico Discovery of Potential Inhibitors Targeting the RNA Binding Loop of ADAR2 and 5-HT2CR from Traditional Chinese Natural Compounds. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2023;24(16):12612.
• Bristow GC, Dong E, Nwabuisi-Heath E, Gentile S, Guidotti A, Sodhi M. Deficits of Hippocampal RNA Editing and Social Interaction Resulting from Prenatal Stress are Mitigated by Clozapine. bioRxiv. 2021:2021.02. 02.429408.
• Powers B, Kleinman JE, Hyde TM, Ajilore O, Leow A, Sodhi MS. Differential expression of glutamate transporters and monoaminergic genes in major depression and suicide. bioRxiv. 2019:596403.
• Bristow, GC; Eisenlohr-Moul T.; Lotesto, K., and Sodhi, M.S. (2021). Sex differences in the transcription of monoamine transporters in major depression. J. AFFECTIVE DISORDERS 2021; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.08.124.
• Powers, B.E.; Joyce, C.; Kleinman,  J.E.; Hyde, T.M.; Ajilore, O.;Leow A. and Sodhi MS (2020). Sex differences in the transcription of glutamate transporters in major depression and suicide. J. AFFECTIVE DISORDERS 2020;  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.07.055
  
• Qin, W.; Liu,C.; Sodhi, M.; Lu, H. Meta-analysis of sex differences in gene expression in schizophrenia BMC SYSTEMS BIOLOGY 2016 ;10 Suppl 1:9-015-0250-3
• Bristow, G.C.; Bostrom, J.A.; Haroutunian, V.; Sodhi, M.S. Sex differences in GABAergic gene expression occur in the anterior cingulate cortex in schizophrenia SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH 2015 ;167(1-3):57-63
• Gray, A.L.; Hyde, T.M.; Deep-Soboslay, A.; Kleinman, J.E.; Sodhi, M.S. Sex differences in glutamate receptor gene expression in major depression and suicide MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY 2015 ;20(9):1057-1068
• Bonaccorso, S.; Sodhi, M.; Li, J.; Bobo, W.V.; Chen, Y.; Tumuklu, M.; Theleritis, C.; Jayathilake, K.; Meltzer, H.Y.  The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism is associated with increased body mass index and insulin resistance measures in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia Bipolar disorders 2015 ;17(5):528-535
• Sodhi, M.S. Pharmacy Research Success: A How-to Guide for Students, Residents, and New Practitioners 2014 ;PMID: 23383700
• Bostrom J.A., Sodhi, M.S. Pharmacogenomics: Challenges and Opportunities in Therapeutic Implementation. 2013 ;
• Hanson, R.L.; Gannon, M.J.; Khamo, N.; Sodhi, M.; Orr, A.M.; Stubbings, J. Improvement in safety monitoring of biologic response modifiers after the implementation of clinical care guidelines by a specialty Journal of managed care pharmacy : JMCP 2013 ;19(1):49-67
• Sodhi, M.S.; Simmons, M.; McCullumsmith, R.; Haroutunian, V.; Meador-Woodruff, J.H. Glutamatergic gene expression is specifically reduced in thalamocortical projecting relay neurons in schizophrenia Biological psychiatry 2011 ;70(7):646-654
• Simmons, M.; Meador-Woodruff, J.H.; Sodhi, M.S. Increased cortical expression of an RNA editing enzyme occurs in major depressive suicide victims Neuroreport 2010 ;21(15):993-997
• Roth, T.L.; Lubin, F.D.; Sodhi, M.; Kleinman, J.E. Epigenetic mechanisms in schizophrenia Biochimica et biophysica acta 2009 ;1790(9):869-877
• Sodhi, M.; Wood, K.H.; Meador-Woodruff, J. Role of glutamate in schizophrenia: integrating excitatory avenues of research Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics 2008 ;8(9):1389-1406
• Hackler, E.A.; Airey, D.C.; Shannon, C.C.; Sodhi, M.S.; Sanders-Bush, E. 5-HT(2C) receptor RNA editing in the amygdala of C57BL/6J, DBA/2J, and BALB/cJ mice Neuroscience research 2006 ;55(1):96-104
• Sodhi, M S.; Airey, D.C.; Lambert, W.; Burnet, P.W.; Harrison, P.J.; Sanders-Bush, E. A rapid new assay to detect RNA editing reveals antipsychotic-induced changes in serotonin-2C transcripts Molecular pharmacology 2005 ;68(3):711-719
• Sodhi, M.S.; Sanders-Bush, E. Serotonin and brain development International review of neurobiology 2004 ;59:111-174
• Tunbridge, E.; Burnet, P.W.; Sodhi, M.S.; Harrison, P.J. Catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) and proline dehydrogenase (PRODH) mRNAs in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression Synapse (New York, N.Y.) 2004 ;51(2):112-118
• Pooley, E.C.; Fairburn, C.G.; Cooper, Z.; Sodhi, M.S.; Cowen, P.J.; Harrison, P. J. A 5-HT2C receptor promoter polymorphism (HTR2C - 759C/T) is associated with obesity in women, and with resistance to weight loss in heterozygotes American journal of medical genetics. Part B, Neuropsychiatric genetics : the official publication of the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics 2004 ;126B(1):124-127
• Sodhi, M.S.; Burnet, P.W.; Makoff, A.J.; Kerwin, R.W.; Harrison, P.J. RNA editing of the 5-HT(2C) receptor is reduced in schizophrenia MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY 2001 ;6(4):373-379
• Arranz, M.J.; Munro, J.; Birkett, J.; Bolonna, A.; Mancama, D.; Sodhi, M.; Lesch, K.P.; Meyer, J.F.; Sham, P.; Collier, D.A.; Murray, R.M.; Kerwin, R.W. Pharmacogenetic prediction of clozapine response Lancet (London, England) 2000 ;355(9215):1615-1616
• Sodhi, M.S. and Murray, R.M. Future therapies for schizophrenia. EXPERT OPINION ON THERAPEUTIC PATENTS 1997 ;7:151-165
• Arranz, M.J.; Erdmann, J.; Kirov, G.; Rietschel, M.; Sodhi, M.S.; Albus, M.; Ball, D.; Maier, W.; Davies, N.; Franzek, E.; Abusaad, Weigelt B.; Murray, R.; Shimron-Abarbanell, D.; Kerwin, R.; Propping, P.; Sham, P.; Nöthen, M.M.; Collier, D.A. 5-HT2A receptor and bipolar affective disorder: association studies in affected patients. Neuroscience letters 1997 ;224 (2)(PMID:9086465):95-8.
• Collier, D.A.; Arranz, M.J.; Sham, P.; Battersby, S.; Vallada H, Gill P, Aitchison KJ, Sodhi MS, Li T, Roberts GW, Smith B, Morton J, Murray RM, Smith D, Kirov G. The serotonin transporter is a potential susceptibility factor for bipolar affective disorder. Neuroreport 1996 ;7(10):1675-9
• Arranz, M.J., Collier, D.A., Munro, J., Sham, P., Kirov, G., Sodhi MS, Roberts, G., Price, J., and Kerwin, R.W. Analysis of a structural polymorphism in the 5-HT2A receptor and clinical response to clozapine. Neuroscience letters 1996 ;217(PMID:8916101 ):177-178.
• Arranz MJ, Collier D, Sodhi MS, Ball DM, Roberts GW, Price J, Sham P, Kerwin R. Association between clozapine response and allelic variation in the 5-HT2A receptor gene. Lancet 1995 ;346(PMID: 7630250):281-282.
• Sodhi MS, Arranz MJ, Curtis DA, Sham PC, Ball DM, Roberts GW, Price J, Collier DA, Kerwin RW Association between clozapine response and allelic variation in the 5-HT2C receptor gene. Neuroreport 1995 ;7(PMID: 8742444 ):369-375.