Dr. Veenstra-VanderWeele is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who uses molecular and translational neuroscience research tools in the pursuit of new treatments for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related genetic syndromes. As a predoctoral fellow, medical student, and resident, he trained in human molecular genetics in the laboratory at the University of Chicago. He expanded his research experience with a post-doctoral research fellowship in molecular neuroscience at Vanderbilt University, with the goal to develop mouse models of social dysfunction and repetitive behavior. Currently, his molecular lab focuses on the serotonin, oxytocin and glutamate systems in genetic mouse models with abnormal social or repetitive behavior. While developing a molecular neuroscience research program, he also built a clinical/translational research program to study new treatments for ASD and related Fragile X Syndrome. He moved both arms of his research program to Columbia University, the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology and New York-Presbyterian Hospital Center for Autism and the Developing Brain in 2014, to continue to pursue novel treatments for children with these challenging conditions.