Education & Training

Dr. Patiño is a physician-scientist focused on bridging psychiatry and neuroscience to advance mental health care. She earned her MD and PhD in neuroscience through the NIH-funded Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at the University of California, San Diego. She completed her doctoral research at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies under the mentorship of National Academy of Sciences member Dr. Edward Callaway. She received her BA in Molecular and Cell Biology with an emphasis in Neurobiology from the University of California, Berkeley, graduating with high distinction and receiving the department’s I.L. Chaikoff Memorial Award. She has been nationally recognized by the American College of Psychiatrists (ACP) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) for her dedication, compassion, and outstanding leadership in the field.

Research & Innovation

As part of the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, Dr. Patiño’s PhD work centered on developing novel neurotechnology that integrates transcriptomics and connectomics to study brain circuits at unprecedented resolution.

Her contributions to the field have been published in top neuroscience and psychiatry journals including Neuron, eLife, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature Neuroscience, and the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry establishing her as a rising leader in neuroscience and psychiatric research.

Leadership & Impact

Beyond her research, Dr. Patiño is deeply committed to expanding opportunities for the next generation of scientists. She co-founded and serves on the Board of Directors for Colors of the Brain, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to creating pathways for historically marginalized students in neuroscience and medicine. Her exceptional academic and leadership achievements have been recognized with the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, an honor shared by former U.S. and California Surgeons General.