Yale Translational Brain Imaging Program

Irina Esterlis is a clinical neuropsychologist and neuroreceptor imager with extensive training in the application of SPECT and PET to the study of mood, trauma, suicide, and comorbid disorders. Dr. Esterlis has developed two novel paradigms to interrogate both the acetylcholine and glutamatergic systems in vivo in human. Her lab was also the first to show ketamine-induced changes in human volunteers in vivo. She has received awards from Society of Nuclear Medicine, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Society for Biological Psychiatry, and American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Esterlis' current work includes the study of the metabotropic glutamatergic receptor involvement in bipolar depression and suicide, and synaptic alterations associated with depression, aging, and suicidality. The lab has expanded to add in vivo preclinical work to elucidate human findings.

Tobacco smoking is the leading preventable cause of cause of disease,disability and death in the US. It also causes a huge socioeconomic burden. Tobacco contains the addictive drug nicotine. We aim to further understand the effects of smoking on the brain using PET imaging. We are also interested in the effects of e-cigarettes on the brain, which are largely unknown. Our goal is to improve our understanding of tobacco smoking addiction so that more effective treatment and preventative strategies can be developed.

Dr. Davis is a licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in the Yale Department of Psychiatry, co-appointed in the Department of Psychology. As an emergent expert in trauma-and-stressor related conditions, her work seeks to identify neurobiological mechanisms underlying behavioral responses related to PTSD, borderline personality disorder and other forms of trauma related psychopathology (e.g. eating disorders, substance use), and their link to suicide behaviors and functional impairment. Specifically, using PET imaging and fMRI Dr. Davis aims to explore novel biomarkers and potential treatment targets with the potential to reduce risk in survivors of trauma. Her current K08, R21 and R01 grants (funded my NIMH) and Young Investigator grant from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) investigate the role of endogenous glutamate and opioid systems on 1) trait markers for suicide behaviors, 2) molecular and behavioral differences across biological sex, and 3) whether these systems have further implications for the risk of opiate misuse and other forms of serious comorbidity in those living with BPD and PTSD. Beyond her personal research projects, Maggie is a specialist with expertise and clinical experience in prolonged exposure, cognitive processing therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (various protocols) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). She serves as the faculty lead for data integration and research management for the Yale New Haven Health Adult Behavioral Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). Further, Dr. Davis participated in the piloting and validation of the two most widely used assessments for PTSD in the DSM-5 (PCL-5 and the CAPS-5). Dr. Davis commits her life’s work to serving and connecting those in distress to lifesaving interventions and resources. Her impact and experience in the field spans from the treatment of individuals coping with trauma and emotion dysregulation-related symptoms to the system-wide codification of such conditions.

Dr. Zakiniaeiz’s work broadly focuses on investigating the neural and molecular circuitry underlying several types of addictions and at-risk populations, such as alcohol use disorder, tobacco smoking, prenatally cocaine-exposed adolescents, and gambling disorder, using two neuroimaging techniques – functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). Her work also emphasizes the importance of sex as a biological variable in the study of addiction.