From the College of Psychology…
April 2024 Research Highlights reported by the College of Psychology.
Janell L. Mensinger, PhD, FAED, an Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical and School Psychology, was awarded an NIH R16 SuRE Grant titled “Optimizing the Validity of the Mulitdimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness for predicting Disordered Eating.” Interoceptive skills, or one’s ability to adaptively interpret and respond to signals from within the body, serve a critical function to human health and well-being. Deficits in interoceptive sensibility are a well-established transdiagnostic feature of disordered eating and psychopathology in general. Better understanding this trait has implications for phenotyping eating disorders and other mental health conditions. The overarching long term goal of this four-year grant is to improve our capacity to evaluate the next generation of targeted, accessible, and broadly effective mind-body interventions by enhancing the rigor and applicability of the MAIA, one of the most widely adopted tools to measure interoceptive sensibility
Mohamad Golam Sabbir, PhD, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, is conducting research focused on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis. Among the various hypotheses surrounding Alzheimer’s, one involves the malfunction of a neurotransmitter receptor-mediated molecular signaling pathway known as cholinergic signaling. Recently, Dr. Sabbir made significant discoveries that establish a novel connection between the dysfunction of this pathway and the compromised mitochondrial structure and function observed in Alzheimer’s neurons. Mitochondria serve as the powerhouse of neurons, supplying essential energy for brain function. Therefore, these groundbreaking findings, detailed in four research articles published in high-impact journals, are poised to shape the landscape of Alzheimer’s research, potentially paving the way for the development of innovative therapeutics.
Links to Dr. Sabbir’s 2023-2024 publications:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36155524/
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2023.1158604/full
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2023.1179252/full
https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad230883
Taylor Irvine, PhD, LMHC, NCC, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling, along with Paul Peluso, PhD, LMHC, LMFT, served as editors for the 2nd edition of the book “Infidelity: A Practitioner’s Guide to Working with Couples in Crisis” which is slated for a June 2024 release.
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