Dr Jennifer A. Erwin is an incoming Associate Professor and Mathew Flinders Fellow in Molecular Neuroscience at Flinders University. She is an internationally recognized leader in neurogenetics and epigenetics, with a research program that spans molecular mechanisms of brain development to the creation of novel therapeutics. Prior to joining Flinders, she served as an Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University and the Lieber Institute for Brain Development. She earned her PhD as a National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellow in Genetics from Harvard University, her Bachelors of Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Phi Beta Kappa), and completed postdoctoral training as a Hewitt Foundation Fellow at the Salk Institute in San Diego.

Dr Erwin’s lab investigates how genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of chromatin remodeling, transposable element dysregulation, and placenta-brain axis contribute to brain health and disease. Her team integrates human genetics, stem cell models, and transcriptomic tools to uncover therapeutic mechanisms with high translational potential. By identifying risk genes and convergent molecular pathways, her work aims to build therapeutic strategies with greater likelihood of efficacy in humans. Her lab works closely with industry and academic collaborators to drive the development of targeted therapies for brain conditions, including LSD1 inhibitors for schizophrenia and autism, antisense oligonucleotides for X-linked dystonia parkinsonism (XDP), and stem cell–derived biologics. This collaborative model fosters innovation in novel neurotherapeutic and informs the path from basic discovery to clinical trials. Notable discoveries include identifying the underlying genetic cause and consequences of altered dopamine receptor expression in schizophrenia (Benjamin et al., 2022), uncovering a pathogenic SVA retrotransposon sequence in X-linked dystonia parkinsonism and developing an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapy targeting it (D’Ignazio et al., 2025), and mapping placenta–brain molecular interactions to understand maternal–fetal influences on neurodevelopment.

At Flinders, Dr Erwin is building a translational research program that integrates genomics, stem cell biology, and therapeutic development to improve brain health. Human genetics informs every step of her research, from discovery to treatment, to increase the likelihood that a therapy will improve patient lives. Through research, mentorship, biotech partnership, and biotech startup creation, she is committed to bridging the gap between discovery science to real-world impact and training scientists in the full translational pipeline.

Educational Focus

As an educator and mentor, I have contributed to training the next generation of scientists in biotechnology, human genetics and neuroscience. I have served as an instructor for predoctoral students in core discussions and advanced topics in human genetics at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine from 2019 to 2023. My mentorship spans predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees, many of whom have secured prestigious fellowships, such as the NIH K99 and Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund, and advanced to faculty positions or leadership roles in industry. As a member of the CMM PhD Policy Committee, I have actively shaped graduate education policies to enhance training programs. My commitment to education extends internationally through thesis examination and collaborative research training. Through these efforts, I have fostered a strong foundation for scientific inquiry, guiding mentees toward impactful careers in academia, medicine, and biotechnology.

As a geneticist and neuroscientist, my research investigates how genetic variation, epigenetic regulation, and retroelement activity shape brain health and disease. We integrate human stem cell models, postmortem tissue, and computational approaches to develop novel therapeutics and uncover key molecular mechanisms, including altered dopamine autoregulation in schizophrenia, histone H3K4-dependent pathways in psychiatric disorders, and pathogenic SVA retroelement-derived RNA in neurodegeneration. These discoveries drive our efforts to develop stem
cell platforms and targeted therapeutics, such as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to modulate retroelement activity.

During my postdoctoral research with Fred Gage at the Salk Institute, I pioneered single-cell DNA sequencing to define somatic brain retrotransposition, revealing extensive genetic variability mediated by mobile DNA elements. My PhD at Harvard with Jeannie Lee focused on noncoding RNA and X chromosome inactivation, while my
undergraduate research with Rudolf Jaenisch and Kevin Eggan examined epigenetic mechanisms in mammalian development.

At LIBD/JH, we conducted the most comprehensive transcriptome analysis of schizophrenia postmortem caudate, linking decreased presynaptic dopamine autoregulation to disease risk (Benjamin et al 2022). We also
identified sex-dependent immune gene expression in schizophrenia (Benjamin et al 2024). Using stem cell-derived organoid models, we demonstrated that schizophrenia-associated neuronal abnormalities originate in early brain development and recapitulate disease associated signatures present in the adult patient brain of the same individuals
(Sawada et al 2024). Our recent work implicates SETD1A-dependent H3K4 trimethylation in schizophreniaassociated genomic instability and synaptic dysfunction (Sawada et al, in revision), informing biotech consulting
activities on LSD1 targeted small molecules with Aluco Biosciences.

Utilizing stem cell-derived organoids, we discovered a pathogenic SVA hexamer transcript in X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism (XDP) (D’Ignazio et al 2022 and in revision). To translate these findings, we patented ASObased therapies (PCT/US2023/018661) to target SVA hexamer transcripts, with active efforts to commercialize this approach and related retroelement mechanisms through a startup. Our goal is to bridge fundamental neurogenetics with precision medicine to develop novel treatments for psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.  

Inventions, Patents, Copyrights
4/14/2023 Role: First Named Inventor, Title: Methods for manipulating SVA-derived transcripts and loci to treat X-linked dystonia parkinsonism, PCT/US2023/018661