About Our Research
The Women's Health Division of the Diagnostic Neuroimaging Lab, led by principal investigator Erin McGlade, PhD, uses neuroimaging techniques to examine sex differences in psychiatric symptoms across the life cycle.
Sex and Gender in Mental Health
The purpose of the Women’s Health division of the Diagnostic Neuroimaging Lab is to examine sex and gender differences in psychiatric symptoms. Prior research on mental health has primarily focused on males, combined sexes and genders, or “corrected” for sex or gender by including them as covariates. We instead explore psychiatric symptoms and neurobiological correlates across the lifetime from childhood through adulthood by sex and gender with the goal of developing improved treatments for all.
We include clinical interviews, neurocognitive testing, structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in our studies to integrate biological, cognitive, and psychosocial factors into our understanding of mental illness. Many of our projects look at sex differences in suicide risk and prevention in youth and adults.
Learn more about our research
Project 1
Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study
COLLABORATORS
- ABCD Research Consortium
- ABCD Data Analysis and Informatics Center
- 21 ABCD study sites
The Diagnostic Neuroimaging Lab is the largest data collection site of the national Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, with over 1,000 Utah youth and families participating. ABCD is the largest long-term study of child and adolescent brain development, mental and physical health in the United States. The ABCD study follows youth participants starting at age 9 through 20, which is a key developmental period for a host of mental health challenges.
As an ABCD site, the Diagnostic Neuroimaging team collects thousands of hours of clinical interviews, cognitive measures, physical health assessments, neuroimaging, and other important data. We also ensure data quality, present results, and publish findings from these data. The Women’s Health division endeavors to use these data to better understand the interplay of sex, gender, biology, and psychiatric symptoms in this developmental period.
Project 2
Suicide risk and prevention in female veterans
COLLABORATORS
PI: Erin McGlade, PhD
This project focuses on sex and gender differences in suicide behaviors of college students. Specifically, we examine GABA metabolite concentrations in the brain related to clinical symptoms in individuals who report a history of suicidal ideation and/or attempts.
Project 3
Multimodal Neuroimaging and Neural Substrates of Internet Gaming Disorder
COLLABORATORS
MPI: Erin McGlade, PhD; Perry F. Renshaw, MD, PhD, MBA
The objective of this study was to explore brain structural, chemical, and connectivity changes associated with internet gaming. We also sought to demonstrate clinical and neuropsychological changes that are associated with extended game play.
Supported by the Game Culture Foundation Republic of Korea
Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center
Members of the Diagnostic Neuroimaging lab and Women’s Health Division have received funding from the Salt Lake City Veteran Affairs Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (VASLC MIRECC). The mission of the Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center is to study suicide in order to reduce suicidal ideation, attempts, and death in veterans.
Project funded by MIRECC
Suicide Risk and Prevention in Female Veterans
COLLABORATORS
PI: Erin McGlade, PhD
In these studies we use clinical and cognitive assessments in addition to neuroimaging measures to examine sex and gender differences in aggression, attention, and impulsivity, as they relate to the neurobiology of individuals with suicide behaviors, including suicidal ideation and attempts.
Supported by the Western Institute for Veterans Research (WIVR) and Rocky Mountain MIRECC
Postdoctoral Fellowship Opportunity
COLLABORATORS
- Denver MIRECC
- VA Palo Alto Health Care system
In addition to research, the VASLC MIRECC also supports a postdoctoral fellowship led by Dr. McGlade. The focus of the fellowship is on training clinical researchers in the high priority area of mental health care for Veterans, specifically in suicide prevention. Work in the VASLC MIRECC fellowship focuses on the neurobiological and clinical correlates of mental illness using multimodal neuroimaging (resting state magnetic resonance imaging (rsMRI), functional MRI (fMRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)); clinical measures; neurocognitive assessment; and cross-disciplinary clinical consults.
Principal Investigator
Erin McGlade, PhD
Dr. McGlade's clinical and research interests focus on sex differences in psychiatric symptoms, particularly in adolescents, young adults, and female veterans. She conducts neuroimaging research and clinical assessments in the Department of Psychiatry at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute and through the VASLC MIRECC.
Selected Publications
- Hantsoo L, Jagodnik KM, Novick AM, Baweja R, di Scalea TL, Ozerdem A, McGlade EC, Simeonova DI, Dekel S, Kornfield SL, Nazareth M, Weiss SJ. The role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in depression across the female reproductive lifecycle: current knowledge and future directions. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Dec 12;14:1295261. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1295261. PMID: 38149098; PMCID: PMC10750128.
- Ma J, McGlade EC, Huber RS, Lyoo IK, Renshaw PF, Yurgelun-Todd DA (2023). Overweight/Obesity-related microstructural alterations of the fimbria-fornix in the ABCD study: The role of aerobic physical activity. PLoS One, 18(7), e0287682.
- Yancey JR, Carson CN, McGlade EC, & Yurgelun-Todd DA (2023). A Literature Review of Mental Health Symptom Outcomes in U.S. Veterans and Servicemembers Following Combat Exposure and Military Sexual Trauma. Trauma Violence Abuse, 15248380231178764.
- McGlade EC, Han DH, Kim SM, Shi X, Cline K, Yurgelun-Todd D, & Renshaw PF. (2022). Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) in individuals with internet gaming. Front Psychiatry, 13, 1031947.
- McGlade EC, Han DH, Shi XF, Cline K, Yurgelun-Todd DA, Renshaw PF (2022). Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) in Individuals with Internet Gaming. Front Psychiatry, 13(2022).
- Sheth C, Huber R, Renshaw PF, Yurgelun-Todd D, McGlade EC (2022). Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Behavior and Sleep among 9- and 10-Year Old Children: Initial Findings from The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. J Early Adolesc.
- Yancey JR, Bowyer CB, Roberts KE, Jones D, Joyner KJ, Foell J, McGlade EC, Yurgelun-Todd DA, Boot WR, Patrick CJ (2022). Boldness Moderates Cognitive Performance Under Acute Threat: Evidence from a Task-switching Paradigm Involving Cueing for Shock. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform, 2022 Apr(54), 101078.
- Anokhin AP, Luciana M, Banich M, Barch D, Bjork JM, Gonzalez MR, Gonzalez R, Haist F, Jacobus J, Lisdahl K, McGlade E, McCandliss B, Nagel B, Nixon SJ, Tapert S, Kennedy JT, Thompson W. (2022). Age-related changes and longitudinal stability of individual differences in ABCD Neurocognition measures. Dev Cogn Neurosci, 2022 Apr(54), 101078.
- Potter AS, Dube SL, Barrios LC, Bookheimer S, Espinoza A, Feldstein Ewing SW, Freedman EG, Hoffman EA, Ivanova M, Jefferys H, McGlade EC, Tapert SF, Johns MM (2022). Measurement of gender and sexuality in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Dev Cogn Neurosci, 53, 101057.
Contact
Erin McGlade, PhD
Principal Investigator