Huda Akil

 portrait of Huda Akil
Gardner C Quarton Distinguished University Professor of Neurosciences
Gardner C Quarton Legacy Professor of Neurosciences in the Molecular and Behavioral Neurosciences Institute
Professor of Psychiatry and Research Professor
Michigan Neuroscience Institute
Medical School
[email protected]
Available to mentor
Huda Akil
portrait of Huda Akil
Research Professor
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    • Center Memberships
    • Center Member
      Eisenberg Family Depression Center

    Recent Publications

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    • Preprint
      Differential acquisition of cocaine and heroin self-administration in a rat model of internalizing versus externalizing temperament.
      Emery MA, Parsegian A, Koonse S, Hebda-Bauer EK, Lee K, Luma BD, Chang SE, Becker J, Flagel SB, Watson SJ, Akil H. 2026 Apr 13; DOI:10.64898/2026.04.09.717453
      PMID: 42039450
    • Preprint
      Significantly Improved Mouse and Rat Genome Annotation Using Sequence Read Archive RNA-seq Data
      Meng F, Turner D, Hagenauer MH, Watson S, Akil H. 2026 Mar 12; bioRxiv, DOI:10.64898/2026.03.06.709975
    • Preprint
      The Neuroendocrine Profile During the Trier Social Stress Test in College Freshmen Offers Insights into the Emergence of Anxiety and Depression Symptoms.
      Khalil H, Turner CA, Murphy-Weinberg V, Gates L, Li F, Onica A, Arakawa K, Weinberg L, Stack C, Lopez JF, Watson SJ, Akil H. 2026 Jan 30; DOI:10.64898/2026.01.27.26344962
      PMID: 41646822
    • Journal Article
      A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Chronic Stress on the Prefrontal Transcriptome in Animal Models and Convergence With Existing Human Data.
      Xiong J, Hagenauer MH, Rhoads CA, Flandreau E, Rempel-Clower N, Hernandez E, Nguyen DM, Saffron A, Duan T, Watson S, Akil H. Brain Behav, 2026 Jan; 16 (1): e71197 DOI:10.1002/brb3.71197
      PMID: PMC12824456
    • Journal Article
      Correction: Bioenergetic-related gene expression in the hippocampus predicts internalizing vs. externalizing behavior in an animal model of temperament (Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, (2025), 18, (1469467), 10.3389/fnmol.2025.1469467)
      Hebda-Bauer EK, Hagenauer MH, Munro DB, Blandino P, Meng F, Arakawa K, Stead JDH, Chitre AS, Ozel AB, Mohammadi P, Watson SJ, Flagel SB, Li J, Palmer AA, Akil H. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 2026 Jan 1; 19: DOI:10.3389/fnmol.2026.1784625
    • Journal Article
      Stress fitness: A neuroscientific approach to building emotional resilience
      Akil H, Maras PM, Turner CA. Neuron, 2026 Jan 1; DOI:10.1016/j.neuron.2026.03.032
    • Journal Article
      Dual endomembrane recycling pathways function in parallel to support synapse maintenance and plasticity
      Chavis GD, Rivero-Ríos P, Uygun T, Tsukahara T, Hayami T, Lee GY, Lee M, Pace C, Czesak FN, Hilde KL, Li F, Iwase S, Murphy GG, Morrow JD, Akil H, Weisman LS, Sutton MA. Neuroscience, 2025 Dec 15; 591: 205 - 221. DOI:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.11.009
      PMID: 41238049
    • Preprint
      A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Chronic Stress on the Prefrontal Transcriptome in Animal Models and Convergence with Existing Human Data
      Xiong J, Hagenauer MH, Rhoads CA, Flandreau EI, Rempel-Clower NL, Hernandez E, Nguyen DM, Saffron A, Duan TQ, Watson S, Akil H. 2025 Oct 24; Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, DOI:10.1101/2025.10.23.683091

    Featured News & Stories

         portrait of Huda Akil
    Department News

    Dr. Huda Akil speaks at National Institutes of Health

    Dr. Akil invited to speak at highest-profile lecture program at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
         Illustration of person swinging from a tree on a swing made of DNA. A version of the same person is sitting at the base of the tree with their head down.
    Medicine at Michigan

    Searching for the biology of mental illness

    For half a century, Michigan Medicine researchers have been working to understand why we feel the way we feel. Their findings have offered hope to patients with mental health conditions from anxiety and depression to addiction and bipolar disorder.
         Lori L. Isom, Ph.D., Sally A. Camper, Ph.D., Karin Muraszko, M.D., Lori J. Pierce, M.D., Dee E. Fenner, M.D.
    Medical School News

    Communication, ‘rethinking our system’ are keys to future of biomedical science

    If biomedical science is to survive, researchers must communicate better about the discoveries and promise of science and medicine, as well as their complexities and limits, and the critical importance of both in serving the public good. Such communication is necessary in times of crisis, like now, according to Huda Akil, Ph.D., one of the Medical School’s top biomedical researchers, both in longevity (47 years at the U-M) and success (2023 recipient of the National Medal of Science). She delivered the keynote address at the third annual Celebration of Women in Academic Medicine and Science on Feb. 5.
         Sally A. Camper, Ph.D., and Lori J. Pierce, M.D.
    Medical School News

    Sally A. Camper, Ph.D., and Lori J. Pierce, M.D., to receive Muraszko Award

    Two Medical School leaders are being honored for their efforts to help women forge successful careers in academic medicine and science. Sally A. Camper, Ph.D., and Lori J. Pierce, M.D., will receive the Karin Muraszko, M.D., Advancing Women in Academic Medicine and Science Award on Feb. 5 at the third annual Celebration of Women in Academic Medicine and Science.