PsychAD Consortium maps gene expression in 1,500 human brains

September 23, 2026 at 08:26 PM1 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

The PsychAD Consortium has compiled single-nucleus RNA sequencing data from millions of brain cells across nearly 1,500 people. Three studies in Nature use the resource to map molecular changes in the prefrontal cortex across the lifespan and in disease. The atlas could transform understanding of brain ageing and psychiatric disorders.

Key Facts

The PsychAD Consortium compiled transcriptomic data from millions of individual brain cells in samples from nearly 1,500 people.
Three studies by Yang et al., Lee et al., and Venkatesh et al. appear in Nature on 23 September 2026.
The studies focus on the prefrontal cortex, a region that shapes human personality and behaviour.
The resource captures molecular changes across the lifespan and in health and disease.

The PsychAD Resource

The PsychAD Consortium assembled single-nucleus RNA sequencing data from millions of brain cells. Samples were provided by nearly 1,500 individuals. The data cover the prefrontal cortex across the lifespan and in both health and disease.

Published Studies

Yang et al., Lee et al., and Venkatesh et al. published three companion papers in Nature on 23 September 2026. The papers use the PsychAD resource to identify molecular changes in the prefrontal cortex. The findings could shift neuroscientists' understanding of brain ageing and disease.