Robert J. Fenster, MD, PhD

Robert J. Fenster, MD, PhD, is a research fellow in the Neurobiology of Fear Laboratory under the mentorship of Dr. Kerry Ressler and is an instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He also serves as the assistant director for the Physician Scientist Training Program at the MGH/McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency Training Program. Clinically, Dr. Fenster is a staff psychiatrist in the Behavioral Health Partial Hospital Program and sees patients for psychodynamic psychotherapy at The Pavilion.

Dr. Fenster’s research interests involve utilizing single-cell and cell-type specific molecular profiling techniques to investigate prefrontal cortical neurocircuits involved in fear extinction. Previously, he worked in the laboratories of Dr. Paul Greengard and Dr. Myriam Heiman, applying similar cutting-edge cell-type specific techniques to investigate translational changes in Huntington’s disease mouse models.