Faculty

Nicholas L. Balderston, Ph.D.

faculty photo
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Department: Psychiatry
Graduate Group Affiliations

Contact information
Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress (CNDS)
University of Pennsylvania
Perelman School of Medicine
Department of Psychiatry
3700 Hamilton Walk, D302
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283
Office: 215-746-3058
Education:
B.A. (Psychology)
University of West Florida, 2004.
M.S. (Experimental Psychology)
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2010.
Ph.D. (Experimental Psychiatry/Neuroscience)
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2013.
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Description of Research Expertise

Dr. Balderston is an experimental psychologist focusing on anxiety. His research uses psychophysiology, neuroimaging, and neuromodulation to develop and test brain-behavior hypotheses aimed at understanding the mechanisms that mediate clinical anxiety. Prior to joining the CNDS faculty, Dr. Balderston was a postdoctoral fellow in the NIMH Intramural Research Program working with Christian Grillon.

Selected Publications

Marta Teferi M, Makhoul W, Deng Z, Oathes DJ, Sheline YS, Balderston NL: Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation to the Right Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex may increase Potentiated Startle in healthy individuals. Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science 3(3): 470-479, April 2022.

Balderston NL, Beer JC, Seok D, Makhoul W, Deng ZD, Girelli T, Teferi M, Smyk N, Jaskir M, Oathes DJ, Sheline YI: Proof of concept study to develop a novel connectivity-based electric-field modelling approach for individualized targeting of transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment. Neuropsychopharmacology 47(2): 588-98, January 2022.

Balderston NL, Roberts C, Beydler EM, Deng ZD, Radman T, Luber B, Lisanby SH, Ernst M, Grillon C: A generalized workflow for conducting electric-field optimized fMRI-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation. Nature Protocols 15(11): 3595-3614, November 2020.

Balderston NL, Beydler EM, Roberts C, Deng ZD, Radman T, Lago T, Luber B, Lisanby SH, Ernst E, Grillon C: Mechanistic link between right prefrontal cortical activity and anxious arousal revealed using transcranial magnetic stimulation in healthy subjects. Neuropsychopharmacology 45(4): 694-702, March 2020.

Balderston NL, Beydler EM, Goodwin M, Deng ZD, Radman T, Lago T, Luber B, Lisanby SH, Ernst E, Grillon C: Low-frequency parietal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation reduces fear and anxiety. Translational Psychiatry 10(68), February 2020.

Balderston NL, Flook E, Hsiung A, Liu J, Thongarong A, Stahl S, Makhoul W, Sheline Y, Ernst M, Grillon C: Patients with anxiety disorders rely on bilateral dlPFC activation during verbal working memory. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience 15(12): 1288-98, December 2020.

Balderston NL, Hsiung A, Ernst M, Grillon C.: The effect of threat on right dlPFC activity during behavioral pattern separation. Journal of Neuroscience 37(38): 9160-9171, September 2017.

Balderston NL, Liu J, Roberson-Nay R, Ernst M, & Grillon C.: The relationship between dlPFC activity during the unpredictable threat and CO2-induced panic symptoms. Translational Psychiatry 7(12), November 2017 Notes: DOI: 10.1038/s41398-017-0006-5.

Balderston NL, Hale E, Hsiung A, Torrisi S, Holroyd T, Carver FW, Coppola R, Ernst M, Grillon C.: Threat of shock increases excitability and connectivity of the intraparietal sulcus. Elife 6, May 2017 Notes: DOI: 10.7554/eLife.23608.

Balderston NL, Mathur A, Adu-Brimpong J, Hale EA, Ernst M, Grillon C.: Effect of anxiety on behavioral pattern separation in humans. Cognition and Emotion 31(2): 238-248, February 2017.

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Last updated: 10/12/2023
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