2018-2019 NNCI Scholars

Samantha is a PGY4 research track resident at University of California, San Diego. She completed her PhD in Immunology studying basic signaling mechanisms of autoimmunity at the University of Colorado as part of the Medical Scientist Training Program. She also participated in clinical research during her final Medical School years on maternal immune function as a risk factor for anxiety and psychosis. Her current research interests include how inflammation and immune response, along with lifestyle factors, contribute to PTSD. Her NNCI Scholar submission included a Neuroscience and the Media module illustrating the how the press covers the connection between immunity and neurobiology.

Manesh is currently a PGY2 research track resident at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. After completing his third year of medical school, he pursued a clinical research experience at Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute. He studied mood disorders and suicidal behavior and contributed to neuroimaging research on serotonin transporter binding. During his first year of residency, Manesh enjoyed his addiction and psychosis rotations and became fascinated by the overlap of these illnesses. His NNCI submission reviews the neurobiology, psychopharmacology, and management of an intriguing case of substance-induced psychosis.

Andy is a PGY4 resident in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University. His research background is in the effects of early life stress on dopamine function. As a PhD student, he discovered a love for teaching psychopharmacology to medical students. He has continued participating in both undergraduate and graduate medical education as a resident, where he is known to have fits of excitement when describing benzodiazepine receptor subtypes. His NNCI submission was a Clinical Commentary in Biological Psychiatry with the NNCI team (Changing the Way We Think About (and With) Antidepressants). He looks forward to bringing his enthusiasm to the NNCI and enhancing psychiatry education.

Maggie is a PGY3 psychiatry resident in the research track at the Harvard Longwood Program. Prior to medical school, she received her B.A in Psychology from Boston College, and was a research fellow at NIMH. She completed her MD and PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati, where her dissertation research explored neuroimaging and executive function in youth with bipolar disorder. Her current research focuses on finding biomarkers for risk and resilience to mood and psychotic disorders. She developed educational programs in medical humanities and research skills for medical students at the University of Cincinnati, and continues to be actively involved in medical education as a resident, including serving as a Child PRITE Fellow. Maggie’s NNCI submission is designed to help residents understand the neuroscientific basis for the interaction between sleep and mood regulation, and develop strategies to talk to patients about these issues.

Elizabeth is a PGY4 resident in the Adult Psychiatry Residency Program at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. She completed her MD/PhD studies at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. For her dissertation studies under the mentorship of Dr. Charles Mobbs, she investigated the metabolic post-ingestive rewarding effects of glucose as compared to fructose. She is now interested in pursuing a career in addiction treatment. An undergraduate major in Film and Theater studies, she has had a long standing interest in using visual mediums to convey knowledge.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Amanda is a chief resident in the Adult Psychiatry Residency Program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. During her residency, Amanda has become heavily involved in medical education. She has a particular interest in finding innovative ways of teaching medical students and residents about the pathogenesis behind the psychiatric pathologies we see in our patients and the neuroscientific basis for why our pharmacologic treatments work.

For their NNCI submission, Elizabeth and Amanda worked together to develop an interactive drawing exercise to facilitate a better understanding of the neuroanatomy involved in the pathogenesis and treatment of schizophrenia.

Sean is a U.S. Army officer and a PGY3 resident psychiatrist at Tripler Army Medical Center. He has a background in neuroscience dating back to his undergraduate studies at Columbia. He began his career in the army as a preventive medicine science officer, and later served as a clinical investigator in the Congo and as an inspector general at the Pentagon. As a medical student at the Uniformed Services University he developed an interest in neuropsychiatry and pursued research on traumatic brain injury. During residency he has been heavily involved in teaching both medical students and residents. Sean’s NNCI submission included a video on the role of complement molecules in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.