Windy McNerney

As the Director of Biological Sciences for the MIRECC at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System and Clinical Associate Professor (Affiliate) of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dr. McNerney focuses on the biochemical and neurobiological factors that increase risk for neurodegeneration and how emerging treatments can mitigate cognitive decline. These risk factors include underlying genetics, brain injury, exposure to substances and toxicants, and extreme stress. She is currently focusing on combining pharmacology with non-invasive brain stimulation to reduce pathology and facilitate nerve regrowth. Dr. McNerney is also the instructor for two courses at Stanford on the biological and societal implications of addiction. In her spare time, she is an advocate for scientific research at the federal and state level and advocates within her local community for fentanyl harm reduction strategies.