We study how the immune system shapes the brain’s synapses in psychiatric illness.
Patients at the center of everything we do.
Everything we do begins with patients
The Kalinowski Laboratory investigates how immune processes shape synaptic architecture and contribute to psychiatric disease. As a clinically active, patient-centered lab at Stanford, we are driven by the real needs of the people affected by psychiatric illness.
We integrate molecular biology, protein science, and rigorous quantitative analysis to understand the relationship between immune cell populations and synaptic density in conditions such as schizophrenia. By bridging clinical care with translational neuroscience, we work to uncover the biological mechanisms linking the immune system to the brain — and to turn those discoveries into a deeper understanding of, and better care for, the patients at the heart of our mission.
What we stand for
Five commitments that shape our science, our priorities, and our culture.
Patients first
Every question we ask begins with the people we serve. The needs and dignity of patients with serious mental illness guide our science, our priorities, and our purpose.
Rigor without compromise
Good science demands honesty and precision. We hold ourselves to the highest methodological standards — testing our assumptions, scrutinizing our results, and pursuing findings that are robust, reproducible, and true.
Standing against stigma
We chose to study serious mental illness precisely because it is so often overlooked and misunderstood. We bring these conditions — and the people who live with them — to the center of medicine, where they belong.
Bridging bench and bedside
We work at the interface of laboratory and clinic, translating molecular discovery into meaning for patients and letting patients’ realities shape the questions we pursue.
Collaboration and curiosity
Breakthroughs come from open minds and shared effort. We cultivate a lab culture of intellectual generosity, mentorship, and genuine curiosity about the brain, the immune system, and one another.
Who maintains this website
This website represents the Kalinowski Laboratory, a Stanford-affiliated research laboratory at Stanford University School of Medicine. The site owner is Agnieszka Kalinowski, MD, PhD (akalinow@stanford.edu).