Melissa Perreault

• Using animal model systems, in vitro and in vivo systems electrophysiology, pharmacology, pharmacogenetics, neurochemistry, behaviour to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the pathology of neuropsychiatric disorders
• Sex differences in neuropsychiatric disorder risk and symptom manifestation (schizophrenia, depression, autism spectrum disorders)
• Sex-specific brain wave patterns as biomarkers for neuropsychiatric disorder pathology and therapeutic efficacy
• Holistic research to understand the neurobiological actions of whole plants and fungi (kratom, cannabis, psilocybin) and the role of the environment (e.g. infection) on brain health
• Indigenous neuroethics

• Agostino Bordignon - MSc
• Sara Enouri - MBS
• Caitlin Nolan - PhD
• Isaac Russell - MSc
• Stefan Salo - PhD
• Evan Spangenberg - PhD
• Olivia Williams - PhD

University of Guelph Research Leadership Chair
Member of the Royal Society of Canada, College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists
Fellow of the Canadian Academic of Health Sciences

• Russel ISB*, Perreault ML. 2026. Bacterial immunomodulatory structures as novel determinants of the maternal immune response and autism risk. Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews, 87:128-139.
• Bordignon A*, Manduca JD*, Perreault ML. 2026. The Eph-Ephrin system in neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, in press
• Williams OOF*, Coppolino M*, Manduca JD*, Demers T*, Henry Duru P*, Mueller TC*, Soubeyrand E, Perrin C, Akhtar TA, Perreault ML. 2026. Cannflavin B ameliorates social and anxiety deficits and neuronal systems dysfunction in adolescent rats exposed to prenatal valproic acid. Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy, 195: 118949.
• Spangenberg E*, Moneypenny A, Bozzo G, Perreault ML. 2025. Unveiling the role of erinacines in the neuroprotective effects of Hericium erinaceus: a systematic review. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 16:1582081
• Williams OOF*, Coppolino M*, McCallum RT*, Henry-Duru P*, Manduca JD*, Micelli C*, Lalonde J, Perreault ML. 2025. Prenatal exposure to valproic acid induces sex-specific alterations in cortical and hippocampal neuronal structure and function in rats. Prog Neuropsychopharm Biol Psychiatry, 136: 111222. Albeely AM*, Williams OOF*, Blight CR*, Thériault RK*, Perreault ML. 2024. Sex differences in neuronal oscillatory activity and memory in the methylazoxymethanol acetate model of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 267: 451-461.
• McCallum R*, Manduca JD*, Thériault RK*, Russell I*, Culmer A*, Shoja Doost J, Martino TA, Perreault ML. 2024. Nrf2 activation rescues stress-induced depression-like behaviour and inflammatory gene expression changes in male but not female rats. Biology of Sex Differences, 15:16.Perreault ML. 2024. Consideration of research approaches in systems neurobiology. Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science, 4:107-10. Invited
• Pepe M, Hesami M, de la Cerda KA, Perreault ML, Hsiang T, Bozzo G, Jones AMP. 2023. A journey with magic mushrooms: From historical relevance to biology, cultivation, medicinal uses, biotechnology, and beyond. Biotechnology Advances, 69: 108247.
• Hewitt T, Alural B, Tilak M, Wang J, Perreault M, Sheridan SD, Perlis RH, Jones N, Mellios N, Haggarty S, Lalonde J. 2023. Bipolar disorder-iPSC derived neural progenitor cells exhibit dysregulation of store-operated Ca2+ entry and accelerated differentiation. Molecular Psychiatry, 28: 5237–5250.
• Selected Publications in Neuroethics
• Perreault ML, Taylor-Bragge R, McLachlan A, Gregory TR, Khalid R, Bassil K, Svalastog A-L, Velarde M, Illes J. 2025. Indigenous Representation in Neuroscience Scholarship, Teaching, and Care. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 26: 373–375.
• Perreault ML, Taylor-Bragge R, McLachlan A, Gregory TR, Khalid R, Bassil K, Svalastog A-L, Velarde M, Illes J. 2025. Authenticity in Capacity-building for Neuroscience: Indigenous Scholarship, Teaching, and Care. Crosscultural perspectives on brain and mind. In: Developments in Neuroethics and Bioethics. Illes J, Perreault ML (eds), Academic Press.
• Gregory TR, Taylor-Bragge RL, McLachlan A, Yellow Bird M, Perreault ML. 2025. Indigenous epistemologies, Two-Eyed Seeing, and the philosophy, practice, and applications of brain sciences. Crosscultural perspectives on brain and mind. In: Developments in Neuroethics and Bioethics. Illes J, Perreault ML (eds), Academic Press.
• Perreault ML and Goodridge LD. 2025. Wastewater surveillance and genomic data protection in Indigenous communities. Genomic Psychiatry, 1: 22-27.
• Illes J, Perreault ML, Bassill K, Bragge RT, Chneiweiss H, Gregory TR, Matshabane O, Rivas M, Svalastog AL. 2025. Two-Eyed Seeing and other Indigenous perspectives for neuroscience. Nature, 638: 58-68.
• Schaffrick M, Perreault ML, Harding L, Illes J. 2023. Recruitment and engagement of Indigenous peoples in brain-related research. Neuroethics, 16: Article number: 19.
• Nolan C*, Roepke TA, Perreault ML. 2023. Beyond the binary: Gender inclusivity in schizophrenia research. Biological Psychiatry, 94: 543-549.
• Perreault ML, King M, Gabel C, Mushquash CJ, De Koninck Y, Lawson A, Marra C, Menard C, Young J, Illes J. 2023. An Indigenous lens on priorities for the Canadian Brain Research Strategy. Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, 50:96-98.
• Schaffrick M, Perreault ML, Jones AMP, Illes J. 2023. Understanding and Rebalancing: A rapid scoping review of cannabis use among Indigenous people. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 8:426-433.

• Perreault ML, Taylor-Bragge R, McLachlan A, Gregory TR, Khalid R, Bassil K, Svalastog AL, Velarde M, Illes J. 2025. Indigenous Representation in Neuroscience Scholarship, Teaching, and Care. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, in press.

• Perreault ML, Taylor-Bragge R, McLachlan A, Gregory TR, Khalid R, Bassil K, Svalastog A-L, Velarde M, Illes J. 2025. Authenticity in Capacity-building for Neuroscience: Indigenous Scholarship, Teaching, and Care. In: Developments in Neuroethics and Bioethics. Illes J, Perreault ML (eds), Academic Press.

• Gregory TR, Taylor-Bragge RL, McLachlan A, Yellow Bird M, Perreault ML. 2025. Indigenous epistemologies, Two-Eyed Seeing, and the philosophy, practice, and applications of brain sciences. In: Developments in Neuroethics and Bioethics. Illes J, Perreault ML (eds), Academic Press.

• Perreault ML and Goodridge LD. 2025. Wastewater surveillance and genomic data protection in Indigenous communities. Genomic Psychiatry, in press.

• Illes J, Perreault ML, Bassill K, Bragge RT, Chneiweiss H, Gregory TR, Matshabane O, Rivas M, Svalastog AL. 2025. Two-Eyed Seeing and other Indigenous perspectives for neuroscience. Nature, 638: 58-68.

• Nolan C, Roepke TA, Perreault ML. 2023. Beyond the binary: Gender inclusivity in schizophrenia research. Biological Psychiatry, 94: 543-549.