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Transforming the understanding
and treatment of mental illnesses.

Intramural Investigators

NIMH scientists conduct research ranging from studies into mechanisms of normal brain function, conducted at the behavioral, systems, cellular, and molecular levels, to clinical investigations into the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental illness.

The investigators at NIMH include:

Arash Afraz

Arash Afraz, M.D., Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Unit on Neurons, Circuits and Behavior (UNCB)
Laboratory of Neuropsychology (LN)

Veronica Alvarez

Veronica Alvarez, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors

Susan G. Amara

Susan Amara, Scientific Director, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology (LMCN)

Lauren Atlas, Ph.D.

Lauren Atlas, Ph.D.  |  Adjunct Investigator

Chief
Section on Affective Neuroscience and Pain, NCCIH

Bruno Averbeck

Bruno Averbeck, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on Learning and Decision Making (SLDM)
Laboratory of Neuropsychology (LN)

Acting Chief
Laboratory of Neuropsychology (LN)

Chris Baker

Christopher Baker, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on Learning and Plasticity
Laboratory of Brain and Cognition (LBC)

Peter Bandettini

Peter Bandettini, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on Functional Imaging Methods
Laboratory of Brain and Cognition (LBC)

Director
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Core Facility (FMRIF)

Christopher M Bartley

Christopher M Bartley, M.D., Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Translational Immunopsychiatry Unit (TIU)

Karen Berman

Karen Faith Berman, M.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on Integrative Neuroimaging

Chief
Section on Psychosis and Cognitive Studies

Chief
Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch

James Bourne

James A. Bourne, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on Cellular and Cognitive Neurodevelopment

Melissa Brotman

Melissa Brotman, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Stadtman Investigator

Chief
Neuroscience and Novel Therapeutics Unit (NNT)
Emotion and Development Branch (E & D)

Ashura Buckley, MD

Ashura Buckley, M.D. |  Senior Clinician

Director
Sleep and Neurodevelopment Service

Heather Cameron

Heather Cameron, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on Neuroplasticity

Photo of De-Maw Chuang

De-Maw Chuang, Ph.D. |  Scientist Emeritus

Scientist Emeritus

Yogita Chudasama

Yogita Chudasama, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on Behavioral Neuroscience

Director
Rodent Behavioral Core

Bevil Conway, Ph.D.

Bevil Conway, Ph.D.  |  Adjunct Investigator

Chief
Unit on Sensation, Cognition, Action, NEI

George Dold

George Dold, M.S. |  Core Director

Director
Section on Instrumentation (SI)

Lee Eiden

Lee E Eiden, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on Molecular Neuroscience
Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Regulation

Charles Gerfen

Charles R. Gerfen, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator


Office of the Scientific Director

Samer Hattar

Samer Hattar, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on Light and Circadian Rhythms (SLCR)

Mark H. Histed

Mark H Histed, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Unit on Neural Computation and Behavior (Histed lab)

Robert Innis

Robert Innis, M.D., Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on PET Neuroimaging Sciences

Chief
Molecular Imaging Branch (MIB)

Angela Langdon

Angela Langdon, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Unit on the Neural Computations in Learning

 Soohyun Lee

Soohyun Lee, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Unit on Functional Neural Circuits

David Leopold

David Leopold, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on Cognitive Neurophysiology and Imaging (SCNI)
Laboratory of Neuropsychology (LN)

Director
Neurophysiology Imaging Facility

Zheng Li

Zheng Li, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on Synapse Development Plasticity

Photo of Sarah Lisanby

Sarah Lisanby, M.D. |  Adjunct Investigator

Director
Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit
Experimental Therapeutics & Pathophysiology Branch

Silvia Lopez-Guzman

Silvia Lopez-Guzman, M.D., Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Unit on Computational Decision Neuroscience (CDN)
Emotion and Development Branch (E & D)

Headshot of Stefano Marenco

Stefano Marenco, M.D. |  Core Director

Director
Human Brain Collection Core (HBCC)

Alex Martin

Alex Martin, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on Cognitive Neuropsychology
Laboratory of Brain and Cognition (LBC)

Francis McMahon

Francis McMahon, M.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Genetic Basis of Mood and Anxiety Disorders (GBMAD)
Human Genetics Branch

Chief
Human Genetics Branch

Kathleen Merikangas

Kathleen R Merikangas, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

NIH Distinguished Investigator

Chief
Genetic Epidemiology Research Branch (GEB-SDGE)

Tobias Merson

Tobias Merson, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Staff Scientist
Oligodendroglial Interactions Group

Betsy Murray

Betsy Murray, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (SNLM)
Laboratory of Neuropsychology (LN)

Allison Nugent, PhD

Allison C Nugent, Ph.D. |  Core Director

Director
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) Core Facility

Maryland Pao, M.D.

Maryland Pao, M.D. |  Senior Clinician

Clinical Director 
Office of the Clinical Director

Mario Penzo

Mario Penzo, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation

Photo of Francisco Pereira, Ph.D.

Francisco Pereira, Ph.D. |  Service/Team Director

Director
Machine Learning Team

Victor Pike

Victor Pike, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on PET Radiopharmaceutical Sciences

Daniel Pine

Daniel Pine, M.D. |  Principal Investigator

NIH Distinguished Investigator

Chief
Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience (SDAN)
Emotion and Development Branch (E & D)

Dietmar Plenz

Dietmar Plenz, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on Critical Brain Dynamics

Armin Raznahan

Armin Raznahan, M.D., Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on Developmental Neurogenomics
Human Genetics Branch

Barry Richmond

Barry Richmond, M.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on Neural Coding and Computation (SNCC)
Laboratory of Neuropsychology (LN)

Peter Schmidt

Peter Schmidt, M.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Behavioral Endocrinology Branch

Chief
Social and Behavioral Research Branch, NHGRI

Jun Shen

Jun Shen, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Headshot of Doctor Paul Taylor

Paul Taylor, Ph.D. |  Core Director

Director
Scientific and Statistical Computing Core

Hugo Tejada

Hugo Tejeda, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Stadtman Investigator

Chief
Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration

Adam G Thomas, Dphil

Adam Thomas, Ph.D. |  Service/Team Director

Director
Data Science and Sharing Team

Photo of Audrey Thurm, Ph.D.

Audrey Thurm, Ph.D. |  Service/Team Director

Director
Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Phenotyping Service
Office of the Clinical Director

Photo of Ted Usdin

Ted Usdin, M.D., Ph.D. |  Service/Team Director

Director
Systems Neuroscience Imaging Resource

Tonya Jo Hanson White

Tonya Jo Hanson White, M.D., Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on Social and Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience

Benjamin White

Benjamin White, Ph.D. |  Principal Investigator

Chief
Section on Neural Function (SNF)

Photo of Scott Young.

W Scott Young, M.D., Ph.D. |  Scientist Emeritus

Scientist Emeritus

Carlos Zarate

Carlos Zarate Jr, M.D. |  Principal Investigator

NIH Distinguished Investigator

Chief
Experimental Therapeutics & Pathophysiology Branch