Psychiatry & Neuroscience
I've been working in research since graduating from college with a degree in Psychology. My principal areas of interest are psychiatric disorders, sleep, and digital therapeutics and I've been fortunate to have worked in a range of research studies related to my interests in England, Australia, and the United States.
I work at the Stanford School of Medicine and the Veteran's Administration in the Adamson Lab. I have been privileged to work in research studies focused on improving the well-being of active duty personnel and combat Veterans at the National Center for PTSD, the Bayley, and Etkin Labs'.
The research labs I've been lucky enough to contribute to are focused on improving the diagnosis and treatment of highly prevalent disorders such as depression, bipolar disorders, anxiety, PTSD, pain, autism, suicide, and traumatic brain injury. In addition to learning from some incredible investigators and dedicated researchers and clinicians.
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Details of the research labs I have been a member of are listed below.
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Stanford School of Medicine & VA Palo Alto
The Adamson Lab is housed within the Department of Neurosurgery at the Stanford School of Medicine and the VA Palo Alto. The Lab committed to improving the quality of life of everyone affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI), Alzheimer's disease, and related neurological disorders.
The research being conducted by the team at the Adamson Lab is focused on developing innovative treatments by forging Silicon Valley partnerships and by being recipients of FDA investigational exemptions to enable them to conduct clinical trials.
The Lab is currently running a randomized clinical trial on an at-home meditation-based virtual reality platform to reduce stress. In addition, the Adamson Lab has developed robust research databases to enable its epidemiological research.
The Lab performs analysis and model building to decipher traumatic brain injury and polytrauma. Using advanced neuroimaging techniques like functional MRI and DTI, the Adamson Lab is making strides to improve diagnostic tools.
The researchers are passionate about ‘bench to bedside translational rehabilitation and are using robotics technology appropriate assistive technology for brain injury patients and seniors.
Stanford School of Medicine & VA Palo Alto
The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford School of Medicine and the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center is home to the Bayley’s Lab.
The research at the Bayley Lab employs a mind-body approach to explore the cognitive underpinnings and possible mechanisms of action for chronic pain and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in civilian and Veteran populations.
The Bayley Lab is committed to developing rehabilitation protocols using non-pharmacological treatments by developing innovative treatments with a focus on complementary and integrative health.
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The Lab is currently conducting a clinical trial to assess the feasibility and efficacy of the delivery of telehealth yoga as a treatment for chronic pain and war-related illnesses, such as Gulf War Illness
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In addition, the Bay Lab is conducting research into brain aging and how lifestyle choices in the decades leading to age 60 plus impact age-related cognitive decline and the onset and progression of dementia-related disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
National Center for PTSD
VA Menlo Park
The National Center for PTSD at the VA is recognized as a center of excellence on PTSD and traumatic stress and is a global leader in research and provision of educational content on trauma.
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At its core the researchers at the NCPTSD are driven to understand the underlying neurobiology, presenting symptoms, and different types of trauma that result in loss of quality of life and cause distress. The NCPTSD conducts research into a range of evidence-based treatments, including talk therapies and medication to support rehabilitation and reintegration following separation by service members.
In addition, the NCPTSD is continually refining existing treatment protocols and developing novel treatments and technologies to affect all service members and Veterans impacted by trauma, before, during, and after deployment and their families.
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The NCPTSD publishes a wide array of resources for service members and their loved ones to better understand how to support a Veteran with PTSD and what resources are available to support them. A further mission of the NCPTSD is to support and train world-class clinicians and therapies to deliver the best possible treatments to Veterans everywhere.
Stanford School of Medicine
The Etkin Lab conducts research to better understand the neural basis of emotional disorders, with the aim to develop new treatments. The research team uses advanced technologies to probe the neural pathways in patients dealing with anxiety, depression, and PTSD and healthy controls.
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The Lab is committed to tailored treatment to better understand treatment response at the individual level and to predict treatment response based on unique characteristics rather than by diagnostic classification.
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The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, at the Stanford School of Medicine, is home to the Etkin Lab, but the Lab has close ties to the VA Palo Alto and the research studies frequently include civilian and Veteran populations.
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The clinical studies for people suffering from depression and anxiety include pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches and computer-based training.
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The research conducted by the Lab brain changes the following Psychotherapy for PTSD, brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression, and brain mapping of activation levels associated with mood and anxiety using fMRI, fMRI with TMS, and TMS/EEG.
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The findings from the research conducted by the Etkin Lab received a Pioneer Award from the National Institute of Health (NIH) and were presented at the World Economic Forum in 2015.
