Post-Doctoral Fellow, Emory University School of Medicine
Researcher intersted in data science, responses to acute stress (mental and physical), and neuroimaging.
I have a broad background in human physiology, with specific expertise in exercise physiology, human neuroimaging, and statistical validation. My current research involves utilizing high-resolution positron emission tomography (HR-PET) to investigate neurological changes in response to stress in high-risk patients including those with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and exposed to traumatic events during childhood. During my doctoral studies, I utilized separate MRI and functional MRI analyses to observe how dehydration alters brain structure and function. This study was followed-up with a similar electroencephalography (EEG) study. During these studies I lead a multi-disciplinary team through pilot testing, data collection, analysis, and interpretation through protocols with a physiological stressor (exercise with water deficit) and neuroimaging. In addition, I completed a meta-analysis to provide the first objective summary of the literature regarding how dehydration can impact cognitive performance. While, I have experience leading research teams through neuroimaging data collection, analysis, and interpretation, I desire to acquire skills related to PTSD and other clinical research to further develop as an independent research within psychosomatic medicine.