As of 2017, 1 in 5 Minnesotans face mental illness each year. With many neuropsychiatric disorders responding poorly to medications and other established treatments, new approaches are desperately needed. Blair Vail's research project investigates the neural mechanisms underlying mental health disorders by identifying the role of specific brain areas in these processes, which can then be targeted by brain stimulation, several forms of which are non-invasive and low risk. This mechanistic approach will improve treatment outcomes for patients living with mental illness and reduce the economic burden on state resources.

Graduate Fellow: Blair Vail, Neurosurgery

Mentor: David Darrow, Ph.D., Neurosurgery