Research

The neurobiological signature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology has been well-characterized from a neuroimaging standpoint in predominantly Caucasian samples. No systematic study of quantitative brain imaging marker has been conducted in NHPI groups to date, representing a significant gap in the characterization of AD and long-term brain health for these populations. This is particularly important given NHPI individuals are subject to many aging health disparities. The aim of our studies is to collect neuroimaging data and characterize the neurobiology of regions implicated in the pathophysiology of AD in high-risk NHPI cases using high-dimensional brain mapping procedures. It is anticipated this could lead to proper anticipation and management of the long-term course of AD in aging NHPI.

Schizophrenia-related disorders differentially affect men and women, including age of onset, illness severity, clinical symptomatology profile, and cognitive function. Our studies aim to characterize sexual brain dimorphisms in this population and determine how they relate to the unique behavioral characteristics for both men and women.

Infectious agents have long been implicated in the etiopathogenesis of various psychiatric disorders, including psychosis-spectrum disorders. Our interest is in the intersection of brain imaging and behavior for individuals with schizophrenia as it pertains to disease burden based on pathogen type (e.g., toxoplasma gondii, herpes simplex virus, and cytomegalovirus).

Cognitive training programs have shown promise in improving many of the behavioral features of psychotic disorders. We are interested in studying the long-term effectiveness of these programs in those with severe forms of the illness who reside in an inpatient hospital setting. Our goal is to examine whether training-related improvements in cognition, clinical symptoms, and functional outcome can be linked to structural brain changes. The ultimate goal is to help patients with psychosis successfully transition back into the community.

Schizophrenia is a debilitating disorder identified by multiple behavioral and biological components that range in their complexity and severity. Our research is focused on sorting out this complexity by identifying unique brain signatures that may vary as a function of cognitive subtyping, disease onset, and overlapping mood presentation.