Eric M. Wexler, M.D., Ph.D.

Education

Professional Certifications

Professional Activities (Recent)

Past Appointments & Clinical Activities

Professional Memberships

Awards & Honors

Presentations & Teaching

• Forensic considerations in Functional Neurological Disorder: Controversies at the Intersection of Forensics and Functional Neurological Disorder. Caitlin Adams, Chadrick Lane, Hal Wortzel, Gabriel Ben-Dor, Shafi Lodhi, Eric Wexler, David Perez. American Neuropsychiatric Association Annual Meeting 2024.
• Mental Health in Huntington’s Disease: empowering patients and their families. HOPE & COPE: Huntington’s Disease Educational Day, UCLA 2023.
• Recognizing and treating thought disorders. UCLA-SM Inpatient Social Worker Inservice 2023.
• UCLA/GLA-VA Psychiatry Residency: Career Opportunities Panel Discussant 2023.
• Psychosocial rehabilitation for thought disorders: Hired-Power Treatment. 2023.
• Ketogenic diet in the treatment of major mood disorders. UCLA Psychiatry Journal Club 2023.
• Thought Leadership Series, Part 1: Understanding Psychosis. Newport Academy 2023.
• What is Coordinated Specialty Care for Psychosis? Rogers Behavioral Health 2023.
• Registered postgraduate supervision [2022–present]: Kyle Menschel ACSW, Brittany Neiman ACSW, Natalie Mark AMFT.
• Integrated psychosocial interventions for treating psychosis. UCLA Psychiatry Journal Club 2022.
• Coordinated intensive outpatient treatment of psychosis. UCLA Inpatient Social Worker Inservice 2022.
• Rescue from Psychosis: Making Recovery a Reality. Janis Black Warner Speaker Series, NAMI 2022.
• Emerging pharmacologic treatments for Schizophrenia. UCLA Psychiatry Journal Club 2021.
• rTMS and other adjunctive treatments for negative symptoms in schizophrenia. UCLA Psychiatry Journal Club 2020.
• Recognizing & Treating Schizophrenia. Psychotherapist Continuing Education Program, RTC 2019.
• Registered Postdoctoral Clinical Supervisor [2015–2021] for Cinzia C. Roccaforte, Psy.D., Annie Zadori, PsyD, Anthony Odozi, Ed.D., April Genovese Psy.D.; attending supervision of Oluwafikunmi Sobowale MD, Tark Hadzic MD, PhD.
• Cannabis exacerbations of mania and psychosis. UCLA Psychiatry Journal Club 2016.
• "After the Love is Gone, Keeping Your Client's Career from Ruin" Panel Discussion 2013.
• Neurogenesis and its role in the etiology and treatment of major depression. UCLA Psychiatry resident didactic series in neurobiology 2013.
• Death and Rebirth: Insights from analysis of transcriptional time-series data. Neurobehavioral Genetics Affinity Seminar, UCLA Brain Research Institute 2012.
• Diagnosing and managing headache in the elderly psychiatric population. Advanced Geriatric Psychiatry Seminar UCLA 2012.
• Wnt1 network analysis implicates canonical signaling in progranulin mediated frontotemporal dementia. International Wnt signaling meeting 2011.
• The Evolving Interface Between Neuropsychiatry and Basic Neuroscience (Course leader NS211). David Geffen School of Medicine UCLA 2010, 2009.
• Dementia and the role of Wnt signaling. UCLA Brain Research Institute 2010.
• Management strategies for neuropsychiatric disease. Advanced Geriatric Psychiatry Seminar UCLA 2010.
• Managing inherited neuropsychiatric disease. Advanced Geriatric Psychiatry Seminar UCLA 2008.
• Early and rapid-onset dementias. Advanced Geriatric Psychiatry Seminar series UCLA 2007.
• Psychiatric manifestations of Huntington’s Disease and related disorders: Current and future strategies for treatment. Combined UCLA Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Neuroscience Grand Rounds 2007.
• Neuropsychiatric Aspects of Huntington’s Disease. Neuropsychiatric Institute Grand Rounds 2007.
• Mood Stabilizers and Neurogenesis. Mental Retardation Research Center Symposium 2007.

Editorial & Review Service

• Program and seminar reviewer: American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2022–present.
• Research & Development grant reviewer; Neurobiology Panel, Department of Veterans Affairs, 2012–2017.
• Ad hoc reviewer for Cell, Cerebral Cortex, Neuron, Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, Molecular & Cellular Neuroscience, Biological Psychiatry, Neurobiology of Disease, Clinical Psychiatry, and Stem Cells, 2002–2016.

Selected Publications

1. Quoted in One Surprising Psychosis Treatment That Works: Learning to Live With the Voices. Julie Wernau. Wall Street Journal Dec. 21, 2024.
2. Burch J, Wexler E. What are the benefits and harms of aripiprazole compared with other atypical antipsychotics in people with schizophrenia? Cochrane Clinical Answers 2017.
3. Burch J, Wexler E. How do second-generation antipsychotics compare with antidepressants for improving outcomes in people with unipolar major depressive disorder? Cochrane Clinical Answers 2016.
4. Hanners NW, Eitson JL, Usui N, Richardson RB, Wexler EM, Konopka G, Schoggins JW. Western Zika Virus in Human Fetal Neural Progenitors Persists Long Term with Partial Cytopathic and Limited Immunogenic Effects. Cell Reports 2016;15(11):2315–2322.
5. Burch J, Wexler E. In people with acute mania, how does aripiprazole affect outcomes? Cochrane Clinical Answers 2015.
6. Wexler E, Lu D, Mathews E, Gao F, Coppola G, Geschwind DH. Mood stabilizers lithium and valproic acid activate complementary neurodevelopmental programs (in preparation).
7. Stein JL, de la Torre-Ubieta L, Tian Y, Parikshak NN, Baker DK, Lu D, Lowe JK, Wexler EM, Geschwind DH. A quantitative framework to evaluate modeling of cortical development by neural stem cells. Neuron 2014;83(1):69–86.
8. Burch J, Wexler E. In people with major depression, how does agomelatine compare with other antidepressive agents at improving outcomes? Cochrane Clinical Answers 2014.
9. Wexler E. Clinical neurogenetics: behavioral management of inherited neurodegenerative disease. Neurol Clin 2013;31(4):1121–1144.
10. Fogel BL, Wexler E, Wahnich A, Friedrich T, Vijayendran C, Gao F, Parikshak N, Konopka G, Geschwind DH. RBFOX1 Regulates Both Splicing and Transcriptional Networks in Human Neuronal Development. Hum Mol Genet 2012;21(19):4171–4186.
11. Konopka G, Wexler E, Rosen E, Mukamel Z, Osborn GE, Chen L, et al. Modeling the functional genomics of autism using human neurons. Mol Psychiatry 2012;17(2):202–214. [Cover Article]
12. Wexler EM, Geschwind DH. DISC1: a schizophrenia gene with multiple personalities. Neuron 2011;72(4):501–503.
13. Wexler EM, Fogel BL. Psychosis in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 10. Am J Psychiatry 2011;168(12):1339–1340.
14. Wexler EM, Rosen E, Lu D, Osborn GE, Martin E, Raybould H, et al. Genome-wide analysis of a Wnt1-regulated transcriptional network implicates neurodegenerative pathways. Sci Signal 2011;4(193):ra65.
15. Rosen EY, Wexler EM, Versano R, Coppola G, Gao F, Winden KD, et al. Functional genomic analyses identify pathways dysregulated by progranulin deficiency, implicating Wnt signaling. Neuron 2011;71(6):1030–1042.
16. Wexler EM. Cell based therapies, gene therapy/stem cell therapy in the future for degenerative disorders. In: Principles and Practice of Geriatric Psychiatry 3e, Wiley-Blackwell 2011.
17. Nakano I, Joshi K, Visnyei K, Hu B, Watanabe M, Lam D, Wexler E, Saigusa K, Nakamura Y, Laks DR, Mischel PS, Viapiano M, Kornblum HI. Siomycin A targets brain tumor stem cells partially through a MELK-mediated pathway. Neuro Oncol 2011;13(6):622–634.
18. Mukamel Z, Konopka G, Wexler E, Osborn GE, Dong H, Bergman MY, et al. Regulation of MET by FOXP2, Genes Implicated in Higher Cognitive Dysfunction and Autism Risk. J Neurosci 2011;31(32):11437–11442.
19. Wexler EM, Paucer A, Kornblum HI, Palmer TD, Geschwind DH. Endogenous Wnt signaling maintains neural progenitor cell potency. Stem Cells 2009;27(5):1130–1141.
20. Wexler EM, Geschwind DH, Palmer TD. Lithium regulates adult hippocampal progenitor development through canonical Wnt pathway activation. Mol Psychiatry 2008;13(3):285–292. [Cover Article]
21. Wexler E. Markers of adult neural stem cells. Methods Mol Biol 2008;438:243–268.
22. Wexler EM, Geschwind DH. Out FOXing Parkinson disease: where development meets neurodegeneration. PLoS Biol 2007;5(12):e334.
23. Coppola G, Choi SH, Santos MM, Miranda CJ, Tentler D, Wexler EM, et al. Gene expression profiling in frataxin deficient mice: microarray evidence for significant expression changes without detectable neurodegeneration. Neurobiol Dis 2006;22(2):302–311.
24. Dougherty JD, Garcia AD, Nakano I, Livingstone M, Norris B, Polakiewicz R, Wexler EM, Sofroniew MV, Kornblum HI, Geschwind DH. PBK/TOPK, a proliferating neural progenitor-specific mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase. J Neurosci 2005;25(46):10773.
25. Wexler E, Palmer T. Where, oh where, have my stem cells gone? Trends Neurosci 2002;25(5):225–227.
26. Pang IH, Wexler EM, Nawy S, DeSantis L, Kapin MA. Protection by eliprodil against excitotoxicity in cultured rat retinal ganglion cells. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1999;40(6):1170.
27. Wexler EM, Stanton PK, Nawy S. Nitric oxide depresses GABAA receptor function via coactivation of cGMP-dependent kinase and phosphodiesterase. J Neurosci 1998;18(7):2342.
28. Wexler EM, Berkovich O, Nawy S. Role of the low-affinity NGF receptor (p75) in survival of retinal bipolar cells. Vis Neurosci 1998;15(2):211.
29. Wexler EM. Development and Electrophysiology of Cultured Mammalian Retinal Interneurons [focus on GABAA mediation signaling]. Doctoral Thesis 1998.
30. Stanton PK, Wexler EM, Velisek L, Hedberg T. Long-Term Depression Of Synaptic Transmission: Cellular Mechanisms And Regulation By Previous Synaptic History. In: Baudry M, Davis JL, editors. Long-term potentiation, volume 2. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press; 1994. p. 169–186.
31. Wexler EM, Stanton PK. Priming of homosynaptic long-term depression in hippocampus by previous synaptic activity. Neuroreport 1993;4(5):591.
32. Wexler E, Singer S. Physician Heal Thy Science & Rebuttal. AMSA Journal Fall 1990;pp.21–23.

Forensic Services, Recent Cases of Note

• People of California v. Zainali Jaffer, Helped mount a successful automatism defense. Mr. Jaffer was the CEO of a Silicon Valley start-up valued at over $500 million when an episode of bizarre behavior led to multiple charges. I was retained by Patrick Clancy of The Innocence Team to assess his mental state at the time of offense. My analysis revealed convincing evidence that he was not intoxicated with LSD, as asserted by the prosecution, but was initially unconscious and later insane due to undiagnosed bipolar disorder exacerbated by prescribed anti-inflammatory and anti-histaminic medications. All criminal charges were dropped in July 2018.
• Reagents of the University of California: UCLA Medical Center v. United Behavioral Health, Magellan-Blue Shield of California, and Blue Cross of California.
• Reagents of the University of California: Irvine Medical Center v. United Behavioral Health and Magellan-Blue Shield of California.
• Alameda Medical Center v. United Behavioral Health.
• Regularly retained by counsel to the Regents of California, UCLA Healthcare and UCI Healthcare systems in their attempt to obtain just compensation for psychiatric care provided in good faith. I have testified numerous times and opined on more than one hundred cases regarding issues of medical necessity and appropriate level of care.
• Tolerico v. State of California, Department of Transportation, Retained by defense counsel in a case of a former police officer who suffered a traumatic brain injury due to reckless off-duty behavior.
• Yessica Gonzalez v City of Montclair, Retained by defense counsel as a consulting expert to review tens of thousands of pages of medical records in a complex traumatic brain injury case involving neuropharmacologic issues and pre-existing psychopathology.
• Orexo v. Sun Pharma, Retained by counsel at Winston & Strawn to assist in defense against claims of patent infringement in connection with Sun’s ANDA application for a generic buprenorphine/naloxone tablet. Provided analysis and testimony as part of Sun’s obviousness defense.
• Hausman v. McDermott, Will & Emery LLP, Retained by defense counsel O’Melveny & Myers LLP to provide expertise on the interplay between psychological stressors and functional impairment among sufferers of multiple sclerosis. Favorably settled in 2018.
• People of Nevada v. Mane Shah, Retained by Chesnoff & Schonfeld for expertise in complex neuropharmacology and physiology involving opiate vs. sedative/hypnotic induced delirium, withdrawal and sleep disturbances. The case resolved mid-trial in 2018 with an offer allowing Dr. Shah to continue practicing medicine without restriction or sanction.
• Charles Dion (and others similarly situated) v. Kaiser Health Foundation, Retained by plaintiff for expertise in inpatient and transitional outpatient psychiatric care standards. Favorably settled in 2018.
• SCH v. Goodman, M.D., Asked to opine on standard of inpatient care.
• Keydata, Engaged by the British Government's Financial Conduct Authority to evaluate the testamentary capacity of a principal figure in the largest financial fraud case in post-war Britain.
• Hose v. Seacrest, Retained to opine on standard of care in a geriatric psychiatry setting.
• Omar Nagy v. Bank of Nevada, Retained by defense counsel Ogletree & Deakins as a consulting expert to evaluate the reasonableness of the plaintiff’s psychiatric FMLA claim. Resolved with summary judgment for the defendant.
• Andrews v. Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, Wrongful death after deputies failed to recognize psychogenic polydipsia in a known schizophrenic detainee.
• Peak v. Friesen-Peak, Opined and testified at trial on need for bipolar medication management as part of a custody determination.
• Parkinson v. Parkinson, Retained by petitioner’s counsel to evaluate respondent’s mental health and capacity for child safety.
• Weivoda v. Weivoda, Retained by respondent’s counsel to evaluate petitioner’s mental health and capacity for child safety.
• Sobel v. Los Robles Hospital, Claims that negligent care allowed a schizophrenic patient to attempt suicide by jumping off an overpass.
• Atterbury v. Babus, Claimed negligence prescribing of sedative led to addiction and permanent harm.
• State of Tennessee v. David Lynn Jordan, Death penalty appeal; retained by the Office of the Federal Public Defender to assess whether the convicted person’s psychiatric illness might mitigate his sentence.
• Gould (Cooper) v. Anwar (St Joseph’s Hospital), Claims negligence and wrongful death after patient committed suicide by hanging while on a locked and monitored psychiatric unit.
• Eberle v. Crossroads, Retained by plaintiff’s counsel to evaluate standard of care and claims of wrongful death due to opiate overdose while at a rehab facility.
• McCluer v. Lowry, Claims negligence in diagnosis of bipolar disorder and subsequent treatment contributed to untimely death.
• Andrews v. Alameda County, Claim of wrongful death while in jail due to failure to recognize medical complications arising from underlying psychotic disorder.
• Chenevert v. Spivak, Evaluated claim of emotional distress secondary to negligently executed plastic surgery.
• Rudolph v. Wilson, Capacity for informed consent in patients suffering from schizophrenia spectrum illnesses.
• Ulrich v. Sutter Valley Hospitals, Claims negligent care of suicidal schizoaffective patient allowed improper discharge and subsequent jump from hospital garage.
• Patel v. Alameda Health Systems, Claims negligence failed to recognize frontal lobe hemorrhage leading to permanent severe cognitive impairment.
• Garcia v. Vasquez, Evaluated plaintiff claiming cognitive and emotional injury following a motor vehicle accident.
• Davison v. Orchard Pointe, Level of care and wrongful death of Alzheimer’s patient in senior living.
• Griffiths v. CPIC, Claim of traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder after a low-speed motor vehicle accident.
• Kopmar v. Pacas, Evaluated claim of PTSD and emotional distress following a motor vehicle accident.
• Jahanpanah v. Klein, Evaluated plaintiff in claim of PTSD and emotional distress following a motor vehicle accident.
• Sherafati v. Odriscoll, Evaluated claim of PTSD and emotional distress following a motor vehicle accident.
• Gamm v. Lloyds of London, Evaluated claim of complete psychiatric disability due to a motor vehicle accident.
• Volante-Kromer v. Kromer, Evaluation of medical records with respect to testamentary capacity.
• Adams v. Normis, Evaluated plaintiff for complaints of trauma and emotional distress following a motor vehicle accident.
• California v. Karen, Obtained mental health diversion under PC 1001.36.
• California v. Jagodowicz, Obtained mental health diversion under PC 1001.36.
• California v. Smith, Defendant originally deemed not competent to stand trial. After regaining capacity, assisted with instatement of conservatorship and later assisted foreign counsel in Great Britain with dismissal of charges and repatriation to California.
• Conservatorship, Assisted in obtaining either LPS or Probate conservatorships for dozens of patients.
• Pada v. Radnet, Rendered opinion on appropriateness of psychiatric treatment and reasonable accommodations for individual with concomitant epilepsy and generalized anxiety disorder.
• Wilson v. Teledoc, Evaluated standard of care in patient who developed psychosis after being prescribed antidepressants.
• Rose v. Outback Care Group, Evaluated claim of psychiatric patient treated under improper level of care leading to wrongful death.
• Cammad Inc., et al. v. Dionysus Investors, Claims of stress-induced incapacity.
• Caggiano v. Amis, Evaluated claimed tardive dyskinesia due to improper prescribing of antipsychotic medications to patient with genetic disorder.
• Elizabeth Taylor v. Alkiviades David; Karl Zirpel v. Alki David Productions, Retained by counsel to evaluate defendant for sequelae of traumatic brain injury and manifest psychosis, and to recommend treatment to mitigate defendant’s interference with his own defense.

Deposition Testimony (Past 10 Years)

• Barbara Gould (Est. Leonard Cooper) v. Syed Anwar, M.D.
• Elizabeth Taylor v. Alkiviades David
• Berndtson, Angela v. Park Place Village
• Blaylock, Karen v. State of California, DMV
• Natalya Blindman v. UCLA
• Brown, Kina v. Department of Social Services
• Chavez, Ana v. Palmdale Regional Medical Center
• Eberle v. Crossroads
• Espejo, Miguel v. Quest Diagnostics
• Flores, Jose v. All Around, Inc.
• Frias, Evangelina v. Waterway Plastics
• Gentle, Robby v. Parking Concepts Inc.
• Jones, Rodger v. County of Ventura
• Martinez, Filomeno v. Oxnard Union High School District
• Mateo, Honoria v. Labcorp
• Orexo v. Sun Pharma
• Olivares, Martha v. Whole Foods Market
• Ortiz, Leonardo v. Progressive Environmental Industries
• Ortega Vanessa v. Bank of America
• Pada v. Radnet
• Poehler, Glenda v. Guernsey Coating Laboratories
• Preston, Gwenette v. Antelope Valley Community College District
• Rayas, Jacqueline v. Harbor Freight Tools
• Rodriguez, Alfredo v. Sa Recycling
• Peak v. Friesen-Peak
• Reagents of the University of California v. United Behavioral Health (aggregated)
• Reagents of the University of California v. Blue Shield of California (aggregated)
• Reagents of the University of California v. Blue Cross of California (aggregated)
• Vasquez, Manuel v. Sun Hill Properties, Inc.
• Timothy Wells v. Southern California Gas Company
• Sharon West v. Vons Companies Inc.
• Yancey, Carmelia v. Lowe’s Home Centers
• Yun, Harry v. Costco
• Keisha Zapeda v. LAUSD
• Nourollah Zaghi v. State of California
• Zavaleta, Samuel v. Conifer Value Based Care, LLC
• Zhang, Zhan v. Hokkaido Seafood Buffet