James Clelland, Ph.D.

James Clelland, Ph.D.

Research Scientist
Clinical Research
845-398-5512

Dr. James Clelland received a BSc in Cell Biology from Glasgow University in Scotland, and a PhD in Biological Chemistry from the University of Essex in England. He began his postdoctoral research at the Institute of Child Health at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, studying the effects of leukemia treatment regimes on brain metabolism. His second postdoctoral fellowship was at University College London, investigating the actin filament bundling protein fascin.

Dr. Clelland is currently a Research Scientist at NKI and has an appointment in the Department of Psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine. He performs clinical research studies designed to investigate molecular and biochemical pathway changes and discover biomarkers that are associated with neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.  Dr. Clelland has received funding from the National Institute of Mental Health, including grants to study gene expression in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, abnormalities of neurotransmitter synthesis cofactor regulation in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and the role of the neuromodulator proline in the etiology of schizophrenia. He has also received funding from the National Institute of Aging to study gene expression in Alzheimer’s disease.

Select Publications

  • Clelland JD, Read LL, Smeed J, Clelland CL. Regulation of cortical and peripheral GCH1 expression and biopterin levels in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Psychiatry research. 2018; 262:229-236.

  • Clelland CL, Drouet V, Rilett KC, Smeed JA, Nadrich RH, Rajparia A, Read LL, Clelland JD. Evidence that COMT genotype and proline interact on negative-symptom outcomes in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Translational psychiatry. 2016; 6(9):e891.

  • Clelland JD, Read LL, Drouet V, Kaon A, Kelly A, Duff KE, Nadrich RH, Rajparia A, Clelland CL. Vitamin D insufficiency and schizophrenia risk: evaluation of hyperprolinemia as a mediator of association. Schizophrenia research. 2014; 156(1):15-22.

  • Clelland CL, Read LL, Panek LJ, Nadrich RH, Bancroft C, Clelland JD. Utilization of never-medicated bipolar disorder patients towards development and validation of a peripheral biomarker profile. PloS one. 2013; 8(6):e69082.

  • Clelland CL, Read LL, Baraldi AN, Bart CP, Pappas CA, Panek LJ, Nadrich RH, Clelland JD. Evidence for association of hyperprolinemia with schizophrenia and a measure of clinical outcome. Schizophrenia research. 2011; 131(1-3):139-45.