Pathophysiological investigations of eating disorders, depression and psychosis
My primary research interests are to better understand the pathophysiology of eating disorders, specifically in regard to anorexia nervosa and obesity. Additional research interests include investigating the clinical utility and mechanisms of action of brain stimulation technology for the treatment of depression, anxiety, and psychosis including electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), deep brain stimulation (DBS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). My current research projects include a longitudinal study of patients admitted for the treatment of anorexia nervosa, which uses neuroimaging methods and neuropsychological assessment to investigate symptom correlation with regional brain abnormalities and their relationship to outcome. Additional projects include: the developmental trajectory of the anterior cingulate cortex in schizophrenia and healthy controls; mirror neuron dysfunction in schizophrenia; limbic system abnormalities in psychotic depression; effects of acute estrogen depletion on mood and memory in women; glutamatergic NMDA receptor blocking agents with ECT for the treatment of major depression.
“Iowa City really is the perfect place to go to graduate school. The city has enough to do to keep you busy when you have the time, and cheap enough that you can actually afford to go to a few things as well as live relatively comfortably on the stipend provided. Also, there are truly great people in the program.”