Faculty and Staff
Faculty
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Read More about Yvette Sheline, MD, M.S.Yvette Sheline, MD, M.S.
Director, Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress
Email Yvette Sheline, MD, M.S.
Yvette Sheline, MD, M.S.
Director, Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress
sheline@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
McLure Professor of Psychiatry, Radiology, and Neurology
Director, Section on Mood, Anxiety, and Trauma
Dr Sheline is the McLure Professor of Psychiatry, Radiology, and Neurology and Director of the Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress (CNDS) at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Sheline has over two decades of experience conducting innovative clinical neuroscience research that bridges the fields of neuroimaging, translational research, and clinical treatment. Recent projects include: using an accelerated iTBS protocol to treat depression and bipolar disorder; neuromodulation using cloud-based real-time fMRI; the neural predictors of outcome to computerized cognitive behavioral therapy (CCBT); and how the co-occurrence of particular symptoms, neuropsychological variables and structural and fMRI brain network measures may provide biotypes that cut across ‘anxious-misery’ disorders
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Read More about Desmond Oathes, PhDDesmond Oathes, PhD
Associate Director Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress and Co-Director brainSTIM Center
Email Desmond Oathes, PhD
Desmond Oathes, PhD
Associate Director Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress and Co-Director brainSTIM Center
oathes@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Dr. Oathes is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. He specializes in interleaved TMS/fMRI to probe neural circuits and to generate novel neurotherapeutic targets. He also runs clinical trials for depression and PTSD and collaborates on TMS/behavioral studies on working memory, social cognition and other topics.
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Read More about Nicholas Balderston, PhD
Nicholas Balderston, PhD
Research Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
nicholas.balderston@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Dr. Balderston has a 15-year background in experimental psychology, psychophysiology, neuroimaging, and neuromodulation. His work features TMS/TBS administration, TMS targeting/e-field modelling, resting state fMRI, working memory performance, working memory-related BOLD activity. He has developed and published on several cognitive paradigms, investigating the relationship between negative affect and cognition, behavior, psychophysiology, fMRI, magnetoencephalography, and most recently with causal manipulations like TMS. As an experimental psychologist with extensive methods experience, he aims to make a unique and impactful contribution to the research program of the department, both through his independent basic-science research program, and through a team science approach aimed at translating his findings to better treat the patient populations served by the department.
Staff
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Read More about Maria Prociuk
Maria Prociuk
Research Administrative Coordinator
lmari@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Maria works with Dr. Sheline and others in the center to ensure the center runs smoothly. In addition to her administrative duties such as scheduling, shipping, ordering, and organizing, she also assists in multiple research studies. Maria assists in grant submissions, IRB submissions and manuscript and abstract submission. Maria’s research duties include but are not limited to working with study sponsors, phone screens, speaking with participants and collaborators, assisting with participant visits and recruitment. Maria also supervises and closely works with our volunteers.
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Read More about Walid Makhoul, MD
Walid Makhoul, MD
Research Specialist C
walid.makhoul@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Walid has completed his NIH T32 fellowship in affective disorders here at the CNDS. He is leading both our Bipolar clinical trial and our treatment-resistant depression study using iTBS. Walid has helped conduct TMS studies which study the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on neural activity and connectivity using TMS/fMRI as well as how the addition of a cognitive task organizes and augments this response to induce plasticity.
Clinical Research Coordinators
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Read More about Almaris N. Figueroa-Gonzalez
Almaris N. Figueroa-Gonzalez
Clinical Research Coordinator B
almaris.figueroa-gonzalez@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Alma graduated from the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras Campus in 2017 with a B.S. in Molecular Cell Biology. During her post-baccalaureate at the NIH, she studied the neuronal pathways involved in anxiety-related behaviors. Alma is interested in studying the neural architecture of psychiatric illnesses and intends to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology.
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Read More about Milan Patel
Milan Patel
Clinical Research Coordinator A
milan.patel@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Milan graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2021 with a B.S. in Psychology and a B.S. in Neuroscience. They are currently a coordinator for the TMS for PTSD and Resting State Changes Following Theta Burst Stimulation studies. Milan is interested in studying Child and Adolescent Psychology, predominantly in young queer populations, and is looking to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology in the near future.
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Read More about Camille Blaine
Camille Blaine
Clinical Research Coordinator A
camille.blaine@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Camille graduated from Virginia Tech in 2022 with a B.S. in Computational and Systems Neuroscience and a double minor in Computer Science and Human-Computer Interaction. Her research interests include using interleaved TMS/fMRI to better understand the neuromodulatory effects of TMS on neural pathways and functional connectivity in a clinical population. She is interested in leveraging neuroimaging analysis for the development of novel treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders. In the future, Camille intends on pursuing a career in the research and development of neurotechnology in a clinical setting.
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Read More about Joanna Zheng
Joanna Zheng
Clinical Research Coordinator A
joanna.zheng@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Joanna graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2024 with a B.S. in Cognitive Studies and Child Development and a minor in Neuroscience. She is a coordinator for the LivaNova-sponsored RECOVER study, which evaluates the safety and effectiveness of the VNS Therapy® System as an adjunctive intervention in improving treatment-resistant depression, as well as the Deciphering Mechanisms of ECT Outcomes and Adverse Effects (DECODE) study. Her research interests include the psychopathology of affective disorders and mental health disparities in vulnerable populations. In the future, she plans to pursue a career in child-adolescent psychiatry.
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Read More about Camilla Whitesel
Camilla Whitesel
Clinical Research Coordinator
camilla.whitesel@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Camilla graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2024 with a B.S.E. in Bioengineering and a minor in Chemistry. While in college, she engaged in neuroendocrine research on a rare disease at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She has since moved on to work within CBIS, where she is investigating the therapeutic potential of TMS. Camilla plans to pursue an M.D. in the future.
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Data Analysts
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Read More about Alexandra Batzdorf
Alexandra Batzdorf
Neuroimaging Data Analyst
batzdorf@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Alexandra holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the Division of Science, Mathematics, and Computing at Bard College and a graduate certificate in Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, she worked as an MRI research specialist in the Department of Radiology at the Perelman School of Medicine. Alexandra is interested in leveraging multimodal neuroimaging to elucidate the mechanisms underlying comorbid psychiatric disorders with the goal of informing their conceptualization. She strives to conduct interdisciplinary research integrating neuroscience, psychology, critical theory, philosophy and history of psychiatry, and disability justice. Her values drive her to think critically about the structural roots and implications of how we conduct science and to work toward mitigating power differentials.
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Read More about Jess Dickson
Jess Dickson
Data Analyst
jessica.dickson14@gmail.com
Jess graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 2020 with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and in 2021 with an M.S. in Engineering Management. They spent two years working for the Cleveland Clinic as an MRI Research Engineer studying neurodegenerative disease progression and intervention, and establishing imaging procedures for the Cleveland Clinic Brain Study. Jess's research interests include multi-modal imaging techniques for evaluating whole-brain function, and DTI tractography for the investigation of white matter diseases.
Post-Doctoral Fellows
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Read More about Ahsan Khan
Ahsan Khan
Post-Doctoral Fellow
ahsan@link.cuhk.edu.hk
Ahsan is broadly interested in how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are rooted in the intricate workings of the brain, and how imbalances in these processes can lead to neuropsychiatric & neurological disorders. During his Ph.D., he investigated the impact of stimulating prefrontal cortex regions on cognitive control processes related to attention and memory, conducting his research at institutions including the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the University of Graz in Austria, and the University of Cambridge.
Ahsan has joined Oathes' lab in Aug 2024, where he is involved in developing innovative treatments for neuropsychiatric conditions. His focus is on utilizing brain stimulation techniques to assist patients with depression, anxiety, and PTSD. He aims to illuminate the fundamental brain mechanisms underlying these disorders and to create more effective and tailored therapeutic interventions.
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Graduate Students
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Read More about Gianna Perez
Gianna Perez
Neuroscience Graduate Student
gperez97@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Gianna attended Villanova University as a Presidential Scholar and graduated in 2019 with a B.S. in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience. She began her graduate studies in the University of Pennsylvania Neuroscience Graduate Group in the fall of 2019 and joined the Oathes Lab in the summer of 2020. Gianna's work in the lab currently focuses on uncovering brain changes associated with depression treatment. She is also the Co-Director of Graduate Led Initiatives and Activities, a graduate student organization dedicated to building community, fostering professional development, and doing neuroscience outreach. As a first-generation college and graduate student, she aspires to use her career to continue to make Neuroscience a more inclusive place for historically underrepresented groups.
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Read More about Hannah Gura
Hannah Gura
Neuroscience Graduate Student
hannah.gura@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Hannah (she/her) earned her B.S. in Neuroscience from Muhlenberg College in 2020. Following graduation, she received an Intramural Research Training Award and completed postbaccalaureate training at the National Institutes of Health's Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit. Currently, Hannah is pursuing her graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania in the Neuroscience Graduate Group (NGG), where she is a member of the Balderston Lab. Her research focuses on exploring sex differences that influence Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) response. Beyond her academic work, she serves as the Outreach Co-Chair for NGG’s Graduate Led Initiatives and Activities (GLIA), a student-led organization dedicated to fostering community, promoting professional growth, and engaging in neuroscience outreach. Hannah is passionate about conducting representative, impactful science, supporting her community, and spending time with her dog.
Post-Baccalaureates
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Read More about Sarai Garcia
Sarai Garcia
Post-Baccalaureate Research Experience Program Student
sarai.garcia@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Sarai graduated from the State University of New York at New Paltz in 2023 with a B.S. in Psychobiology and a B.A. in Sociology-Criminology with a minor in Disaster Studies. Sarai hopes to merge her interests and examine the neurocircuitry underlying anxiety and stress-related psychopathology to understand the mechanisms by which this circuitry contributes to the development of cognitive-affective changes and negative mental health outcomes within underserved populations most impacted by stress and trauma. In the future, Sarai plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.
Undergraduate Research Assistants
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Read More about Noemí Rubau Apa
Noemí Rubau Apa
Undergraduate Research Assistant
noemi.rubauapa@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Noemí is an undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania double majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology. She aspires to go to graduate school and pursue a career as a Clinical Neuropsychologist, with a focus on integrating research and clinical practice to better understand and treat mental health conditions.
Alumni
Staff:
Kathleen Cassidy
Stephanie Hammerman
Eileen Mergliano
Edita Stanic
Kristin Tederstrom
Romain Duprat
Clinical Research Coordinators:
Colleen Bontrager
Eugene Cha
Joseph Deluisi
Gabriela Bagdon
Cristopher Byrd
Tommaso Girelli
Gabriella Green
Clay Gueits
Victoria Halewicz
Elizabeth Harders
Adna Jaganjac
Hannah Long
Monica (Mengqun) Lyu
Heather Robinson
Morgan Scully
Janet Stock
Rand Williamson
Joyce Wong
Ethan Hammett
Marta Teferi
Abigail Casalvera
Frederick Nitchie
Alessia Seroff
Data Analysts:
Marc Jaskir
Gregory Bond
Connor Law
Irem Aselcioglu
Matthew Flounders
Ximo Liang
Darsol Seok
Nathan Smyk
Julie Grier
Post-Doctoral Fellows:
Justin Reber
Geoffrey Adams
Joanne Beer
Maxwell Bertolero
Thomas Brooks
Seda Ozdemir Cavdaroglu
David Connor
Alexandre Filipowicz
Marianna Gabrielyan
Martina Ly
Melissa Manners
Hema Nawani
Meichen Yu
Graduate Students:
Nick Cullen
Evan Gallagher
Anne Mennen
Andrew Murphy
Valerie Sydnor
Jared Zimmerman
Student Research Assistants:
Paige Mckenzie
Jillian Troth
Georgia Moon
Emily Potts
Mila Bria-Massaro
Samantha Costello
Christina DiCindio
Tanya Gershman
Varuna Jasodanad
Luis Hernandez Magro
Stepphanie Nekroski
Chihiro Shimomoto
Gabrielle Stravach
Libby Sullivan
Bridget Yu
Jackie Wurman
Dana Bahng
Rohan Kurup
Ziqi Yang
Julia Ulrich