Jessica Auerbach, B.A.
Clinical Research Coordinator
Jessica graduated from Skidmore College in May 2023 with a B.A. in Neuroscience and Psychology, with coursework in Neuropsychology, Hormones and Behavior, and Physiological Psychology. While at Skidmore, Jessica worked as an undergraduate research assistant at the Cognitive Psychology Lab where she gained significant experience in clinical research.
In addition, she worked as a research assistant in Dr. Bernard Possidente’s Laboratory in the Biology Department, where she conducted an independent study analyzing the effects of lithium on the circadian rhythm of an animal model of Alzheimer’s disease in fruit flies. Jessica is interested in research aimed at discerning the underlying factors which contribute to sex differences in the development and presentation of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Jessica’s background in psychology and neuroscience and her interest in sex differences research make her a great match for our SCORE study.
About the U54 SCORE program: The scientific mission of the MGH-Harvard-CO SCORE (U54MH118919) is to identify stress and immune pathway abnormalities, beginning in fetal development, that have adverse consequences for sex differences in brain circuitry implicated in major depressive disorder (MDD), autonomic and neurovascular dysfunction, and risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We are facilitating transdisciplinary, translational collaborations among basic and clinical investigators to enhance our understanding of sex differences in the comorbidity of MDD and CVD and develop a novel non-invasive neuromodulation therapy targeted to the neural-cardiac interface in a sex-selective manner. Further, we aim to serve as an interdisciplinary resource to train and disseminate findings about sex differences in MDD, autonomic dysregulation, and cardiovascular risk to the scientific and medical communities, policy makers, and the public.