The research training program, Developmental Neuroscience and Behavior (formerly known as Research Training: Psychobiological Sciences), is an NIMH-funded postdoctoral program for MDs and PhDs which focuses on the interplay of psychological and biological processes as these contribute to new knowledge about the etiology of clinical disease. The emphasis is on an experimental approach to an understanding of physiological and behavioral processes in early development and in stress-related syndromes in adulthood. Questions are pursued both in humans and in animal models in the belief that each of these levels of inquiry contributes to the other and that trainees benefit from ongoing interchanges between researchers working within these two different approaches. This interaction is sustained by the involvement of several of the core faculty in both laboratory research with animals and in studies of human infants and adults. Close collaborative arrangements with the Division of Perinatology, Department of Pediatrics at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center as well as participation in the training program of a number of resource faculty from the Department of Psychiatry who are engaged full-time in clinical and in laboratory research, provide an unusual breadth of research training opportunities.
Training is centered on the initiation and conduct of the research Fellow's own project, under close faculty preceptorship. In weekly seminars, the process of research design is intensively discussed using each Fellow's project on a case by case basis, starting with the derivation of a researchable question and culminating in the writing of scientific articles and grant proposals. The advantages and pitfalls of a wide variety of research methodologies, including statistical procedures, are evaluated in seminar discussions. A program of outside speakers, with informal discussion in small groups limited to research Fellows and their mentors, is an important part of the program.

Selection of trainees is based on their potential for developing the capacity for independent research and becoming leaders in academic and research institutions. Stipends are those set by NIMH and vary, depending on years of postdoctoral experience. Federal law requires that all fellows be US citizens or in the United States on a permanent visa. To apply, write a letter describing in 2-3 pages the research question you would like to pursue, the faculty member(s) with whom you would like to work, and what further training you need for your research career. Send this letter, a copy of your CV, and three letters of recommendation to:

Our training program is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIMH) which requires that all fellows be US citizens or in the United States on a permanent visa. Please provide this information in your descriptive letter.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact any faculty member with whom they may be interested in working prior to submission of their application. After review, selected applicants will be invited for interviews with prospective preceptors and faculty members and to give an informal talk at our weekly meeting. These interviews will assist us in our decisions for final acceptance. Columbia University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

MICHAEL M. MYERS, Ph.D. (Program Director) Developmental Neuroscience

The broad goals of research in Dr. Myers’ laboratory are to understand the nature of interactions between physiological and behavioral processes. How do these associations emerge during early stages of development? What are the consequences of changes in these processes to health? Investigations of the long-term effects of early experiences on the cardiovascular system are of particular interest.  Several broad ranging research projects are conducted with collaborators in other Divisions of Psychiatry and with members of the Department of Pediatrics. In adult humans, they focus on relationships between autonomic physiology and various forms of physical and mental challenge. In human infants and fetal baboons, they investigate the maturation of relationships between behavioral states and autonomic nervous system activity in the context of both normal and perturbed conditions. Other projects focus on relationships between fetal growth, feeding patterns and weight gain during infancy as modulators of adult blood pressure and glucose regulation. Fellows in this laboratory receive training in a variety of behavioral testing paradigms, basic animal genetics, and cardiovascular physiology. With regard to behavioral studies, current activities involve the study of naturally occurring mother/infant behavioral interactions, motor activity tests, and tests designed to illuminate differences in anxiety. Trainees also learn both non-invasive and arterial cannulation methods for recording blood pressures in rats, as well as techniques for recording the heart rates and respiratory activity of these animals. Time series analyses of variability in physiologic signals and multivariate techniques for revealing relationships among physiologic and behavioral measures are the prominent components of training experiences in this laboratory. (mmm3@columbia.edu)


MYRON A. HOFER, M.D.  (Program Co-Director) Developmental Neuroscience

Dr. Hofer’s research has centered on the role of the parent-infant relationship as the first major environmental influence on postnatal development. He and his colleagues have explored how early maternal separation and different patterns of mothering exert long-term effects on vulnerability to disease. Through an experimental analysis of the psychobiological events that enmesh the infant rat and its mother, they are studying the hidden regulatory processes that are the basis for the early origins of attachment, the dynamics of the separation response and the long term shaping of development by that first relationship. Hofer’s recent work has focused on a synthesis of recent research on the psychobiology of early attachment, its role in later development and how these traits and their biological mechanisms have evolved from their animal origins.
Dr. Hofer serves as an advisor to fellows on research strategy, career goals and different approaches that can be used in the analysis of the intersection of behavioral and biological processes in early development. He provides perspective on the evolutionary basis of developmental systems and the generation of new questions based on the breadth of this conceptual and historical view. His long experience as a mentor and researcher is a valuable source of advice and novel view points for faculty and students alike. (mah6@columbia.edu)

VICTORIA ARANGO, Ph.D. Molecular Imaging & Neuropathology

Work in Dr. Arango’s laboratory uses a quantitative neuroanatomical approach to compare samples from individuals with various mood disorders to normal controls in order to identify correlates specific to each disorder. Receptor autoradiography, immunocytochemistry, immunoautoradiography and in situ hybridization histochemistry, all quantified using an unbiased approach, are used to achieve these goals. All samples are genotyped in order to identify possible polymorphisms and compared them to protein expression levels found postmortem.  This work has resulted in the characterization of alterations in prefrontal cortical (PFC) serotonin transporter sites (SERT) in major depression and suicide.  Fellows have opportunities for wet laboratory research involving the study of the serotonergic and the noradrenergic system in human and nonhuman primates with a focus on cortical structures and the brainstem. Though prior work has focused on affective disorders, studies of schizophrenia, and suicide in schizophrenia, are being initiated, as well as detailed studies of the amygdaloid complex and how neurochemical markers on various subnuclei may be altered in suicide, alcoholism, depression and schizophrenia. Recent studies are also using an oligonucleotide DNA microarray approach to seek genes whose differences in expression levels may serve as markers for mood disorders and whose altered functions may explain some of the brain pathobiology in depression and suicide. Quantitative Real-Time PCR sampling analyses confirm microarray results for genes with statistical differences in expression levels. (va19@columbia.edu)


PETER BALSAM, Ph.D. Cognitive Neuroscience

All adaptive behavior is organized in time.  Dr. Balsam’s research interests are in how time affects learning and action.  Temporal information is automatically perceived and encoded during experience. Quantitative information about event durations and precise temporal information about the relationship between events is stored and remembered. Furthermore, this information can be used in very flexible ways to guide behavior.  The ongoing work in the laboratory is seeking to understand all of the underlying cognitive processes. How is time perceived? How is it encoded and retrieved?  How is temporal information used to make decisions about whether, when, and how to respond? The laboratory works to answer these questions at both the behavioral and neural levels. Temporal information processing is distorted in some Psychiatric and Neurological disorders. The studies of timing in rodents serve as model systems for understanding the neural substrates of cognitive distortion. Fellows receive training in methods of investigating animal models of cognitive process. They are taught an integrated approach for the study of behavioral and neurobiological processes.  In collaboration with other laboratories fellows learn how to do a detailed quantitative analysis of behavior, surgery, microinfusion methods, histology, imaging and genetic methods for analyzing the brain bases of behavior. (Balsam@columbia.edu)


GORDON A. BARR, Ph.D. Developmental Neuroscience

Dr. Barr's laboratory studies how maturation of the brain influences the ontogeny of behavior. Specifically, he is interested in developmental changes in the behavioral effects of drugs as a function of changes in neural function, and how those changes in function result in different drug actions. Most of this work has concentrated on opiate drugs, their analgesic and reward properties, and issues of tolerance and development. The laboratory has described developmental changes in primary afferent fibers that carry nociceptive information to the spinal cord, the subsequent ascending pathways, and descending and local spinal pain inhibitory mechanisms. A second line of research has shown that although the basic neural structures underlying opiate withdrawal and tolerance are similar across development, the role of glutamate receptors in these processes is fundamentally different. A third line of inquiry has focused on the motivational properties of opiates and includes studies on the neural mechanisms underlying the early reinforcing and aversive properties of opiates and on the developmental changes in opiate dependence and withdrawal.
The training of students includes behavioral, electrophysiological, anatomical, genetic, and pharmacological methods including immunocytochemistry, field potential recordings, in situ hybridization, microarray expression studies and stereotaxic surgery. Special emphasis is paid to understanding developmental issues in the behavioral assessment of the actions of drugs within well-specified neural systems. (gab5@columbia.edu)


SUSAN A. BRUNELLI, Ph.D. Developmental Neuroscience

Dr. Brunelli's research interests lie broadly in the social, behavioral and affective development of young organisms. Research involves the selective breeding of two lines of rats that differ on the basis of an infant expression of anxiety, vocalization in the ultrasonic range (USV) to separation from mother. This is the first demonstration of selection for an infantile trait. The High and Low USV lines show differences in affective regulation from infancy into adulthood: that is High and Low USV line rats exhibit high and low levels of anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, respectively. Dr. Brunelli has recently completed a study showing dramatic differences in genes regulating the HPA axis expressed in microarrays in brains of infant and adult High and Low USV lines. This model thus provides a powerful model system in which to experimentally analyze the intertwining influences of genetic predisposition and effects of early experience to create vulnerability to affective disorders over the life span. Fellows receive training in the neurobiology of affective behavior, methods for measurement and analysis of complex behaviors, including multivariate statistical analysis methods, with an emphasis on developmental issues. (sab9@columbia.edu)


JEAN ENDICOTT, Ph.D. Clinical Phenomenology

Dr. Endicott's research is focused on predictors of the occurrence and recurrence of episodes of affective disorder. Major projects consist of family studies, follow-up studies, and studies of the phenomenology of episodes of illness. In addition, studies of changes in mood and behavior along the menstrual cycle investigate their biological correlates, relationship to lifetime and family history of mental disorders, and their treatment. Her division is also responsible for training and consultation regarding the use of a number of specific evaluation procedures such as the Research Diagnostic Criteria and the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia. The department provides training in a variety of assessment procedures. The ongoing projects include family follow-up studies focused on major affective and schizophrenic disorders, studies of changes in mood and behavior along the menstrual cycle, and studies of substance abuse. Fellows are also given the opportunity to use available sets of data to gain experience in the use of varied data analytic techniques, interpretation of findings, and preparation of papers. Training focused on psychometric issues related to the development of evaluation procedures is also emphasized, particularly as they relate to reliability, validity, and the identification of special data analytic problems associated with their use. Trainees attend meetings related to specific projects or general research issues, including those focused on problems of administration of research projects, funding issues, and preparation of grant proposals or manuscripts for publication. (je10@columbia.edu)


WILLIAM P. FIFER, Ph.D. Developmental Neuroscience

Dr. Fifer's research interests are on fetal and neonatal behavioral, perceptual and autonomic nervous system development. Current investigations in his laboratory include studies of fetal, newborn and premature infant responses to sensory stimulation, the development of sleep/wake states, and the effects of in utero experience on later development. He has active collaborations within the Departments of Psychiatry, Obstetrics, Pediatrics, Behavioral Medicine and the U.S. Government Indian Health Service that focus on the effects of maternal anxiety and depression during pregnancy on the developing fetus, the relationship between diet and sleep in premature infants, development of autonomic control, and assessment of risk for neurological disorders including Sudden Infant Death. The human newborn and fetal laboratories provide the trainee with the opportunity to investigate the ontogeny of behavior and autonomic organization in the human newborn and fetus. Trainees acquire techniques used in the measurement of learning, cardiovascular responsiveness, sleep/wake patterns, speech perception, and feeding. Skills acquired include competence in collection and analyses of physiological signals, behavioral coding of newborn behavior, assessment of fetal reactivity, and application of recent advances in heart rate and EEG analyses. (wpf1@columbia.edu)


JAY GINGRICH, M.D., Ph.D. Developmental Neuroscience

Research in Dr. Gingrich’s laboratory focuses on the genetic and neurobiological substrates implicated in disorders such as schizophrenia, depression and anxiety. This lab investigates the genetic and developmental contributions to these behavioral disorders. Most studies use the mouse as a model system for several reasons. First, there is a large database of genetic knowledge about the mouse and there are numerous inbred and outbred strains of mice that can used for specific types of studies. In addition it is relatively easy to selectively modify specific genes by means of deletions (“knock-out”), modifications (“knock-in”), control of expression levels (“knock-down”), or addition of new genes to the genome (“transgenic”). This group has been actively creating genetically altered mice to investigate these interests. Because of the important role of serotonin in modulating many of these processes, Dr. Gingrich has generated several strains of mice that lack key components of the serotonergic system: including several different serotonin receptors, and the serotonin transporter. Currently, this work also included the use of different operant paradigms and maze tasks. This work relates to both the mechanism of action of hallucinogenic drugs but also possibly to abnormalities found in schizophrenia. Fellows receive training in the use of molecular biological techniques to manipulate DNA and RNA for the purposes of generating additional mutations in mice, measuring gene expression, and other experimental manipulations. Fellows are also involved in the engineering and the behavioral analysis of various mutations.  (jag46@columbia.edu)


RENÉ HEN, Ph.D.  Integrative Neuroscience

René Hen’s research is focused on the contribution of serotonin (5-HT) receptors to pathological states such as depression and anxiety. Pharmacological studies and molecular cloning have identified several subtypes of receptors with distinct properties, signaling systems, and tissue distributions. However, the study of the function of individual serotonin receptor subtypes has been hampered by the lack of specific drugs. In addition, a number of the serotonergic drugs that are active in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders influence the whole serotonergic system. For example, antidepressants such as fluoxetine are 5-HT uptake blockers and potentiate the action of 5-HT at multiple post-synaptic sites. To dissect the contributions of individual serotonin receptors to physiology and behavior, mouse mutants lacking individual receptor subtypes were created in his laboratory, providing genetic models for a number of human behavioral traits such as impulsiveness, depression, and anxiety. Tissue specific and conditional knockouts are currently being used to identify the neural circuits underlying these traits. Recently his lab has also been investigating the function of the ventral hippocampus and the contribution of hippocampal neurogenesis to mood and cognition. Specifically, they have shown that antidepressants stimulate the division of neuronal progenitor cells in the dentate gyrus, which in turn results in an increase in the number of immature neurons in the adult hippocampus. Furthermore, using various ablation strategies they have shown that hippocampal neurogenesis is required for some of the behavioral effects of antidepressants. Novel antidepressant therapies aimed at targeting directly hippocampal stem cells are currently under investigation. Fellows receive training in all aspects of molecular and transgenic technologies with a particular emphasis on modeling in the mouse neurological and psychiatric disorders. (rh95@columbia.edu)


MARIA KARAYIORGOU, M.D. Psychiatric Genetics

Dr. Karayiorgou heads the NYSPI’s Laboratory of Human Genetics. The multi-pronged research program of this laboratory focuses on the genetic components of mental illness and includes genome scans in founder populations to identify candidate genomic regions, search for susceptibility alleles, and genetic animal models. Of particular interest has been the identification and detailed characterization of genes from the 22q11 chromosomal deletion region, a Copy Number Variant that is robustly associated with high risk for mental illness. Trainees in this laboratory receive a solid foundation in all the modern approaches to the study of linkage between genetic changes and disease. These include linkage and linkage disequilibrium (LD) studies in founder populations, generation of animal models for susceptibility genes, as well as clinical studies designed to inform the heterogeneity of the phenotype. (mk2758@columbia.edu)


CHARA MALAPANI, M.D., Ph.D. Cognitive Neuroscience

Dr. Malapani's research interests lie in the neural and functional processes of learning and memory for time, in both animals and humans. The approach to this question has been through experimental analysis of how temporal control in conditioning ties mnemonic and dynamic learning effects to basic timing mechanisms known to underlie many nervous system functions. Coupled to the behavioral approach are research lines aimed at understanding how damage at specific brain areas & neuro-chemical systems distort distinct psychological processes inherent in temporal cognition, such as storage, retrieval and decision mechanisms. These studies have revealed separable storage and/or retrieval distortions of temporal memory in normal aging and patients with Parkinson’s disease. Current work focuses on isolating the neural substrates underlying those distinctive processes by developing and/or using existing animal models of human diseases (i.e. Parkinson's disease, Schizophrenia), known to involve damage at the basal ganglia-frontal cortex circuitry and either dopaminergic or/and glutamergic brain systems. Fellows receive training in methods for behavioral analysis of interval timing & temporal control in conditioning. Comparative functional anatomy of the basal ganglia circuitry and the central dopaminergic systems is taught as a means of studying temporal aspects of behavior in different animal species including humans. Approaches, such as neuro-psychology with different patient populations & brain imaging techniques (fMRI) in dissecting cognitive functions of the human brain is taught as well as pharmacological manipulations and lesion techniques in developing animal models of the above mentioned human diseases.  (cm302@columbia.edu)


HEINO F. L. MEYER-BAHLBURG, Dr. rer. nat. Child Psychiatry

Dr. Meyer-Bahlburg's research interests focus on the development of gender identity, gender role behavior, sexual orientation, and sexual behavior, taking into account both biological and psychosocial factors. Research projects involve children, adolescents, and adults with endocrine disorders or with a history of prenatal exposure to exogenous hormones, or presumably hormonally normal individuals with gender disorders or from social-risk environments. Current projects include: (1) long-term behavioral sequelae of prenatal hypo-androgenization of 46,XY individuals; (2) long-term psychiatric and behavioral sequelae of prenatal and/or postnatal androgen excess in chromosomal females, contrasting prenatal and postnatal forms of congenital adrenal hyperplasia; (3) the effects of prenatal dexamethasone exposure on temperament, gender role behavior, behavior problems, and cognitive development in children with and without prenatal hyperandrogenization due to congenital adrenal hyperplasia; (4) the effects of genital surgery on sexual functioning in intersexed persons; (5) a qualitative study of stigma and trauma in intersexuality; (6) development of measures of various domains of gender-related behavior and sexual functioning. Research trainees in the Unit of Developmental Psychoendocrinology are made familiar with this sub-specialty area and learn the scientific, clinical, and administrative aspects of clinical research while they are conducting the research projects in close collaboration with and supervision by one of the two co-directors of the unit. In addition to the weekly seminar in Developmental Psychobiology, the training includes a monthly Journal Club in Psychosexual Differentiation. Depending on their individual needs, fellows are advised to take specific courses available here or elsewhere. They also may attend pertinent seminars and courses conducted by the co-directors (e.g., Critical Topics in Sexuality across the Life Course; Developmental Sexology; Transgender Work Group) or other Faculty in the Division of Child Psychiatry.  (meyerb@childpsych.columbia.edu)


HOLLY MOORE, Ph.D. Integrative Neuroscience

Research in the Moore laboratory falls into two inter-related areas: 1) ontogeny of cerebral cortical regulation of limbic basal forebrain and ascending monoaminergic systems using anatomical, in vivo neurochemical, neurophysiological, and behavioral techniques, and 2) the neural and behavioral consequences of specific disruptions of cerebral cortical development in rodents as models of the neuropathology of schizophrenia. The primary model used in the laboratory is a disruption of DNA methylation during a specific period in gestation (embryonic day 17). Investigations focus on which genes are most vulnerable to this manipulation, how these genes are affected by nutritional and other environmental factors associated with the risk for schizophrenia, and, ultimately, how those genes affect the ontogeny of frontal and limbic cortico-basal ganglia function. These questions are also addressed using genetic models developed by collaborators at Columbia University Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience and Cornell Medical Center Department of Neurogenetics and Behavior. Trainees will have the opportunity to study anatomical, behavioral and neurophysiological development as it relates to limbic or frontal corticostriatal circuits in these models using multiple sophisticated behavioral techniques, anatomical techniques such as immunohistochemistry combined with stereology and in vivo neurophysiological recordings from the single-cell to EEG level. (hm2035@columbia.edu)


BRADLEY S. PETERSON, M.D. Child Psychiatry

Dr. Peterson is the Suzanne Crosby Murphy Professor in Pediatric Neuropsychiatry and Director of MRI Research in the Department of Psychiatry. He trained in General Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University, and in Child Psychiatry at the Child Study Center of Yale University. His research interests concern primarily the applications of neuroimaging to the study of serious childhood neuropsychiatric disorders, including Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Tourette syndrome, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Autism, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, prenatal toxin exposure, and premature birth. His imaging studies integrate measures of brain structure and function with genetic, neurochemical, behavioral, neuropsychological, and clinical measures to define disease processes and therapeutic responses in large samples of children and adults. Fellows receive grounding in the physical basis of MRI techniques and extensive didactics in the acquisition of high-quality MRI data, behavioral techniques for working with impaired children, task development for functional MRI scanning, and psychiatric nosology. They learn image analysis methodologies for the processing of anatomical and functional MRI data. They also learn unique statistical methodologies for analyzing measures that derive from image analysis procedures, and the interpretation of statistical findings in terms of neural systems theories. (petersob@childpsych.columbia.edu)


HARRY N. SHAIR, Ph. D. Developmental Neuroscience

Early experience interacts with genetic predisposition to shape an organism’s ongoing behavior and its developmental trajectory. Dr. Shair, a past-president of the International Society of Developmental Psychobiology, studies the behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms by which the early environment influences current actions and contributes to the ontogenetic course of the growing organism. Much of his research focuses on the parent-infant interaction. His most recent work targets the formation and expression of early-life social bonds. Dr. Shair also investigates the mechanisms underlying behavior at the physiological level in studies of the cardiovascular system, respiratory regulation, and sleep/wake states. Other areas of research have included the impact of early denervations, malnutrition, and genetic interactions with environmental effects. Fellows receive training in methods of using animals to investigate the neurobehavioral mechanisms regulating emotional development. Techniques include behavioral observations, microsurgery, electrophysiology, pharmacological manipulation, intracranial cannulation, etc., as well as collaborative training in the laboratories of the other fellowship mentors. (hns1@columbia.edu)


RICHARD P. SLOAN, Ph.D. Biobehavioral Medicine

Dr. Sloan’s work focuses on the impact of psychological factors on autonomic control of the cardiovascular system related to the development of coronary artery disease. A primary methodological approach to this area involves analysis of spontaneous oscillations of biological signals including heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration to produce noninvasive estimates of autonomic control. Current studies include research with cardiac transplant recipients and patients with left ventricular assist devices, in whom the nervous system connection between brain and heart has been disrupted, as well as in normal subjects. Other studies include trials to assess the impact of exercise and hostility reducing interventions on autonomic regulation of the cardiovascular system. Fellows in this laboratory learn to administer several psychological inventories, principally those focused on hostility and work stress. They also become expert in the use of a battery of standard psychophysiological challenges including Stroop, mental arithmetic, cold pressor, and orthostatic tilt. Finally, fellows are given extensive training in time and frequency domain analyses of physiological signals, primarily heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration. (rps7@columbia.edu)


RAYMOND I. STARK, M.D. Pediatrics and Perinatology in Obstetrics and Gynecology

The Perinatal Physiology Laboratory focuses on fetal neurobehavioral development and developmental pharmacology. Studies in chronically instrumented pregnant baboons probe the mechanisms of adaptation of the fetus and newborn infant with exposure to medications (e.g., opiates, serotonin reuptake inhibitors, anti-HIV agents), varying degrees of reduction in nutrient supply and environmental toxins (nicotine) during pregnancy. Research includes basic research into the molecular biology of drug metabolism by the fetus (glucuronidation systems), pharmacokinetic studies and modeling in evaluation of placental drug transfer to the evaluation of the epigenetic impact of undergrowth on fetal metabolic function and potential for pathological consequences manifest in adult life. Fetal animals have sequential MRI scans to evaluate brain growth and development and continuous monitoring of fetal electrocortical and cardio-respiratory function with intermittent sampling for metabolic status and levels of drugs and neurohormones. Physiological evaluations focus on the responses and adaptive capacities of specific aspects of fetal behavioral state organization, circadian, cardiorespiratory and metabolic function. Trainees in this laboratory are exposed to the fundamentals of maternal/fetal physiology and pharmacology. They are taught the research techniques required for evaluation of maternal/fetal physiology in a primate model and methods for continuous assessment of fetal well-being. Fellows can have extensive training in the analysis of physiologic signals, MRI evaluation of brain development, molecular biologic strategies to investigation of development of fetal metabolic capacities, and pharmaco-dynamic and pharmaco-kinetic tools for research in pregnancy. (ris2@columbia.edu)


YAAKOV STERN, Ph.D. Neuropsychology 

Dr. Stern’s research focuses on cognitive changes associated with normal aging, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia, and HIV. Research approaches include traditional neuropsychological tests, more experimental cognitive psychological paradigms, neuroepidemiology, and cognitive neuroimaging. Dr. Stern is also director of Neuropsychology at the Memory Disorders Center, supervising the clinical neuropsychological evaluation of patients with memory complaints and dementing disorders. There is a range of training available to postdoctoral trainees. Trainees can obtain a thorough grounding in clinical and experimental neuropsychological evaluation. They can participate in several larger ongoing studies of cognition and dementia in aging while developing their own focused research projects. In addition, the trainees can acquire experience in Hh15O PET and functional MRI studies of cognition in aging. (ys11@columbia.edu)


EZRA S. SUSSER, M.D., Dr. PH. Epidemiology

Ezra Susser is the Anna Cheskis Gelman and Murray Charles Gelman Professor and Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University, and Department Head, Epidemiology of brain disorders at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Much of Dr. Susser’s research focuses on the developmental origins of health and disease throughout the life course. These longitudinal studies emanate from his earlier work on the population affected by the Dutch Famine (1944-45) and neurodevelopmental etiologies of schizophrenia. He heads the Imprints Center for Genetic and Environmental Lifecourse Studies, a collaborative birth cohort research program in which epidemiologists seek to uncover the causes of a broad range of disease and health outcomes, including psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, obesity, cardiovascular disease, reproductive performance, and breast and ovarian cancers. Factors under study include prenatal exposures to infectious disease and toxic chemicals, childhood nutrition and environment, and genetic vulnerabilities. Fellows who work with Dr. Susser learn about study designs for detecting causes of disease in human populations, including genetic and biological causes. This extends to supervision in statistics, development of instruments, and other aspects of designing and implementing a study. When relevant to their research interests, they have access to several important large epidemiologic cohorts, and can build new research on these cohorts. (ess8@columbia.edu)


MICHAEL TERMAN, Ph.D. Cognitive Neuroscience

Dr. Terman's work spans basic through applied studies of biological rhythm factors that influence mood, sleep and performance. An extensive series of preclinical animal experiments focused on the circadian phase-resetting effects of naturalistic dawn and dusk twilight transitions, using specialized apparatus that provides geographical and seasonal specificity for simulations. This work led to translational phase in which similar signals were clinically administered to alleviate the winter depression of seasonal affective disorder and abnormal sleep-wake patterns. Bright simulated daylight and high-density negative air ionization are additional environmental interventions under investigation for their antidepressant effects. Bright light and negative ion therapies have recently been extended to nonseasonal chronic, recurrent and bipolar depression, and a bright light trial for antepartum depression is underway. Adjunctive light therapy, administered in the context of ECT and drug treatment, is a focus of inpatient investigation. The potential therapeutic utility of exogenous melatonin as a soporific or circadian phase-resetting agent is the focus of a series of studies beginning with pharmacokinetic analysis of a new, low-dose, controlled-release melatonin formulation. Trainees have the opportunity to gain broad experience in clinical chronobiology in the context of a translational research program. Included is training in the diagnosis, treatment, assessment and management of depressive and sleep phase disorders. In addition, they gain experience in melatonin measurement and assessment, and photic stimulation and measurement. (mt12@columbia.edu)


MARK UNDERWOOD Ph.D. Molecular Imaging & Neuropathology

Dr. Mark Underwood is a fulltime researcher in the Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. He is the Director of the Laboratory of Molecular Physiology and has implemented a translational research program including in vivo imaging studies in rodents using microPET and in vitro autoradiographic phosphorimaging technologies. His primary research activities focus on the role of serotonin and its receptors in the brain of alcoholics utilizing postmortem tissue. The brain material under investigation is collected at autopsy, and all cases have been diagnosed using a retrospective diagnosis through a psychological autopsy procedure. The principal methodological approaches include quantitative receptor autoradiography and stereologic determinations of neuron morphometry and number in the brainstem and prefrontal cortex. Dr. Underwood is also the Principal Investigator on a Project in the Conte Center for the Neuroscience of Mental Disorders. This project uses a translational approach in mice to study the role of monoamine neurodevelopment in aggression and impulsivity. Dr Underwood collaborates with other investigators studying brain and behavioral correlates determining the relationships between behavior and gene expression and the neurobiology of eating disorders using animal models. Fellows in his laboratory receive training and direction on the design and implementation of translational experiments aimed at identifying the role of transmitter systems in behavior. Methods used in the approach include quantitative receptor autoradiography and in vivo microPET, immunohistochemistry and quantitative morphometry. (mu20@columbia.edu)


B. TIMOTHY WALSH, M.D. Clinical Therapeutics

Dr. Walsh is conducting studies of psychological and biological disturbances in patients with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. In addition, the Eating Disorders Research Unit, which Dr. Walsh directs, is examining the efficacy of treatment interventions in these disorders. With collaborators, he is examining eating behavior in a laboratory setting and conducting physiological studies relevant to the development of satiety in patients with eating disorders. His group is currently working with other investigators on translational approaches to eating disorders, including the examination of animal models of disordered eating. Trainees learn the clinical research skills of structured interviews, rating scales and diagnostic assessments. Focus on psychometric issues related to the development of instruments is combined with learning practical skills of clinical administration, grants, and preparation of papers. Training is given in behavioral methods for the on-line analysis of eating behavior under naturalistic laboratory conditions. Additional training activities include a weekly didactic session on the Eating Disorders Research Unit which reviews ongoing work in the department, relevant literature and a weekly meeting of the outpatient eating disorder research staff. Members of the department, both trainees and senior faculty who are pursuing studies of eating disorders, also attend the monthly meetings of the Columbia University Appetitive Society on the main campus of Columbia University. (btw1@columbia.edu)


CHRISTOPH WIEDENMAYER, Ph.D. Developmental Neuroscience

Dr. Wiedenmayer’s research focuses on the development of defensive behavior and the associated central state of fear. Behavioral response patterns undergo dramatic changes in early life because the growing organism has to deal with a succession of highly different ecological and social environments. Dr. Wiedenmayer investigates the neural processes that underlie changes in defensive behavior in infant rats at various stages of ontogeny. Following a top down approach, he analyzes the brain circuits that mediate species-specific responses to threat, how these circuits change in early life and how they are shaped by experience. The analysis of the developmental plasticity of fear systems is important for our understanding of age-specific adaptations but also provides insight into the development of psychopathologies. Fellows in his laboratory receive training in the methods of behavioral analysis, including the use of automated recording systems. Trainees learn neurobiological techniques to investigate neural circuits including immunocytochemistry, in situ hybridization, PCR, stereotaxic surgery and neuropsychopharmacology.(cpw14@columbia.edu)