DESCRIPTION OF WORK / BIOSKETCH

I have been trained as applied cognitive neuroscientist, and am currently working as a postdoctoral research fellow under supervision of Dr. Gary Strangman in Massachusetts General Hospital’s Neural systems Group and Harvard Medical School. My research focuses on development and application of near-infrared neuromonitoring (NIN) technology for assessment of neuromotor and cognitive function in isolated/confined/extreme  (e.g. spaceflight, Antarctica), and clinical environments. My doctoral research focused on the effects of vibrotactile sensory cueing for modulation of neuromotor and cognitive performance in Parkinson disease. Previously, I collaborated on research studies in healthy and clinical populations, including investigations of (i) neurosensory integration and cognitive / motor performance in Parkinson disease, (ii)  effects of serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms on psychological traits in genetically isolated populations, (iii) functional cortical responses (using NIN) to perturbed motor / cognitive performance, etc. I collaborated on NASA projects that assessed efficacy of vibrotactile sensory augmentation as countermeasure for post-flight vestibular deconditioning, and have investigated International Space Station (ISS) medical emergency protocols in microgravity parabolic flights.