Principal Investigator
Mani Pavuluri, MD, PhD

We spent the majority of the last 10 years in brain research and intervention in bipolar disorder, mentoring researchers, caring for patients and providing consultation to physicians and health care leaders in Child Psychiatry. We are committed to continuing her work in the area of patient-oriented research, mentoring, leadership and patient care. We are committed to addressing the critical shortage of physician scientists conducting research in affective neuroscience in Child Psychiatry. The goal of this study is to mentor junior patient oriented investigators and expand the research program into defining dimensional approach to brain function through functional network analyses and fusion analyses of functional and white matter networks in PBD. The research mentoring activities in affective neuroscience will entail inclusion of new post doctoral fellows and graduate students. We proposed proof of concept study of affect self-regulation that combines the neuro-scientific and technical skills that will definitively advance the methodological sophistication also required for the center's grants. The K24 addresses the current NIH Roadmap Initiatives that seek focus on clinical application, neurobiology, development, dimensional focus, training new physician scientists and driving the capacity to conduct translational research.

Specific Aim 1: To map the hemodynamic response and the corresponding functional networks that underlie self-regulation of affect, in other words, cognitive control of affect in response to event related paradigms consisting of negative, positive and neutral static and dynamic affective stimuli

Specific Aim 2: To comprehensively understand the causes of altered functional connectivity, we also aim to identify the integrity of structural white matter tracts that link brain regions comprising circuitry where function is altered

FUNDING: NIMH Supplement for RMH081019A