Suicide & the Brain

Our research focuses on how brain function influences vulnerability for suicidal thought and behavior.  Our multimodal approach combines structural and functional MRI with clinical assessments, experimental tasks, and sensor-based technologies to identify cognitive and neural processes underlying dimensions of suicidality. Our broader goal is to use this mechanistic knowledge to improve suicide prevention through enhanced detection and treatment.

We are particularly interested in understanding how trait-level signatures of brain function relate to fluctuations in the severity of suicidal thoughts and behaviors over time. Read more about our perspective on temporality here: Barredo-Bozzay-2021

Neuromodulation for Psychiatric and Emotional Disorders

Our collaborative work in this area uses MRI to identify brain activity patterns predictive of, or responsive to, various forms of neuromodulation used to treat psychiatric and emotional disorders. Work in this area integrates multiple MR approaches, including diffusion imaging and spectroscopy.