Collaborators

            Dr. Scott is an Assistant Professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, as well as the Tufts University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry. She is a research scientist in the Neuroscience and Aging Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. She completed her undergraduate work at Rutgers University and received her master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical and biological psychology from Yale University. She completed her clinical residency in neuropsychology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Subsequently, she began her work in dementia and age-related cognitive decline as a researcher at Tufts University and as a clinical neuropsychologist at Tufts Medical Center.

            Dr. Scott’s research is focused on the impact of nutrition and life-style behaviors on aging and cognition, mood and quality of life. She is the neurocognition expert in multiple NIH- and foundation-funded clinical trials and observational studies. Dr. Scott is affiliated with the Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) as part of the Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) Center and has served for over twelve years on the Tufts Health Sciences Campus Institutional Review Board. She is on the Editorial Advisory Board for the Tufts Health and Nutrition Letter and is an Associate Editor for the Nutritional Neuroscience journal.

Dr. Jensen is the Director of High Field Spectroscopy Research Core at McLean Hospital, and is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. His research focuses on the development, implementation and application of novel magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) techniques, and novel proton/phosphorus MRS quantitation methods. These techniques are used to measure brain chemicals.

 

He is an expert in the measurement of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) using MRSI methods that he developed. His techniques make it possible to produce a chemical-shift image of GABA in the brain, and assess GABA concentrations from specific anatomical regions, both grey and white matter. With his novel techniques, he collaborates on clinical studies examining how local brain GABA levels change in response to anxiolytic medications and yoga interventions. He also collaborates on clinical studies to measure GABA levels in individuals with panic and anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, substance abuse disorders, bipolar and depression, and adolescent marijuana users.

 

He has also successfully developed a fully automated method for the precise and accurate measure of brain glutamate and glutamine in vivo using J-resolved proton-MRS. His methods are currently being used in quantitative studies of drug-effects, including Ambien, Lunesta (both sleep-aids) and Lamotrigine (anti-depressant).

 

Dr. Jensen is committed to the wider implementation of his novel methods. He trains technical staff, post-doctoral fellows and principal investigators in the application and use of his techniques. He has developed data acquisition protocols and the offline processing and analysis software. He has written a detailed instructional manual on scanning and processing procedures.

Marisa M. Silveri

PhD

Dr. Silveri is an associate professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and is the Director of the Neurodevelopment Laboratory on Addictions and Mental Health at McLean Hospital. She has been studying the neurobiology of brain development and consequences of alcohol and drug abuse using preclinical and clinical models for over two decades. Her current work uses non-invasive magnetic resonance techniques to examine brain structure, function, and neurochemistry, focusing on consequences of alcohol use and abuse. Neurobiological measures are examined relative to cognitive ability and clinical indicators of mood, anxiety, and impulsivity across healthy adolescent, emerging adult, and adult cohorts, and those with addictions and co-occurring psychiatric illnesses.

Dr. Silveri is a recipient of awards from the Research Society on Alcoholism and the College of Problems on Drug Dependence. She has received NIH funding from the NIAAA, including two R01s focusing on the impact of alcohol use on adolescent brain development and the neurobiological consequences of binge drinking in emerging adults.

            Dr. Maren Nyer is the Director of Yoga Studies and the Associate Director of the Research Coordinator Program at the Depression Clinical and Research Program (DCRP), Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). She is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School (HMS). Her research interests include the treatment of mood disorders and associated symptoms, specifically developing and evaluating innovative, complementary and integrative treatments for depression. She completed her pre-doctoral psychology internship at MGH/HMS. After that, she worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the DCRP, until obtaining a staff position in September, 2012. She holds a BA in Psychology from Cornell University and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Virginia.