Margaret Fahnestock is a molecular neurobiologist at McMaster University. She is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, as well as an Associate Member of the Department of Biology and a member of the Medical Sciences graduate program. Margaret has been working with McMaster since 1991, when she joined the Department of Biomedical Sciences. Her research is focused on neurotrophic factors, specifically understanding how neurotrophin gene expression, regulation, signaling and trafficking are dysregulated in Alzheimer’s disease and autism. Currently, her research is focused on the molecular mechanisms of the benefits of exercise and diet on cognition. Margaret has done extensive research on neurological disorders during her time at McMaster and continues to work as a highly respected researcher in the field of neuroscience.