Jennifer Erwin

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. She is actively engaged in biotech as consulting Chief Scientist for Aluco Biosciences, who are developing a novel small molecule to treat schizophrenia, bipolar and autism. 

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.

Publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=r1wp8XIAAAAJ&hl=en