Clinical Research

The Minnesota Center for Eating Disorders Research at the University of Minnesota conducts research in the following areas: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, compulsive overeating, emotional eating, obesity, purging/self-induced vomiting, diet/weight loss, disordered eating, and eating disorder treatment.

Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR) focuses on development of unique magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and spectroscopy methodologies and instrumentation for the acquisition of structural, functional, and biochemical information non-invasively in humans, and utilizing this capability to investigate organ function in health and disease.

We create new treatments for psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The AnnaZ Lab is a research team dedicated to investigating the factors driving escalation and persistence of substance misuse and disorders across the lifespan. Our multidisciplinary research investigates the environmental, social, psychological, psychiatric and neurobiological factors underlying human drug addiction, through the collection and analysis of behavioral, clinical and neuroimaging data.

We are a team of researchers at the University of Minnesota who study how brain functioning impacts thoughts and behaviors in adolescents.

We use the latest brain imaging techniques and neurodevelopmental tests to study the brain changes caused by prenatal alcohol exposure, investigating the effects of computerized cognitive training and neuromodulation (mild electrical current) on the scalp on brain development in FASD, and testing nutritional interventions with the goal to optimize brain development in young children with FASD.

We are a team of researchers dedicated to conducting research about adolescent mental health. Our research aims to advance understanding of the biology of mood disorders (e.g. depression and bipolar disorder) in adolescents, and to test how new investigational treatments may work to restore health in young people.

The NNL aims to provide state-of-the-art technology for clinical trials using neuromodulation to better the understanding of psychiatric and neurological conditions. Research in our labs aims to discover new evidence about neurological and psychiatric disorders to improve clinical methods and help people living with these conditions.

The Schallmo Lab is driven to understand how psychiatric & neurodevelopmental disorders affect neural processing, using techniques from visual neuroscience.

Our research focuses on the design, implementation, and evaluation of neuroscience-informed computerized cognitive training exercises for people with psychotic illness. We aim to use these methods to enhance neurocognitive and neural system functioning.

The Interventional Psychiatry Lab focuses on neuromodulation research in the context of mood dysregulation and depressive disorders. We are committed to increasing access to evidence based neuromodulation therapies through rigorous, ethical research.

We are the Herman-Darrow Human Neuroscience Lab, a human brain research lab out of the University of Minnesota. We study the brain networks of mood, behavior, and cognition in people living with motor disorders, psychiatric disorders, and chronic pain. We bring Psychiatry and Neurosurgery together using implant technologies and other trans-diagnostic tools like TMS, EEG, and cognitive remediation in an effort to improve the quality of life to affected patient populations.

 The Research in the Mechanisms of Addiction (RIMA) Laboratory is focused on supporting recovery from addiction by targeting the brain mechanisms underlying substance use disorders. Our mission is to identify and target the neural mechanisms that influence recovery and relapse vulnerability using cutting-edge neuroimaging and neuromodulation techniques. Ultimately, our goal is to strengthen executive functioning brain networks to support abstinence in people recovering from alcohol and substance use disorders, paving the way for more effective treatments and lasting recovery.

Our aim with the Minnesota Tic and Compulsivity Lab is to advance current research efforts, interventions, and care for all neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) including Autism, ADHD, Tic Disorders, and OCD. Dr. Suma Jacob and Dr. Christine Conelea, with a full team of dedicated researchers, coordinators, and volunteers, come together to answer many questions about how neurodevelopmental disorders originate, how they progress, and how they can be treated.

The Researching Interventions for Stressful Experiences (RISE) lab is committed to understanding the risk factors, pathophysiology, and mechanisms underlying stressful experiences that manifest as disease processes. We seek to develop novel interventions (pharmacological, neuromodulatory, and behavioral) that promote recovery from trauma and stress related disorders.

The Bronstein lab conducts research at the intersection of psychiatry and data science. Our group investigates the determinants of beliefs associated with depression, psychosis, and other mental illnesses. We also study misinformation and the causes of vaccine hesitancy. 

The Cognition and Brain (CAB) in Psychopathology Lab, lead by Dr. Scott Sponheim, is dedicated to understanding the causes of severe mental disorders, and detailing the inter-relationships of brain abnormalities that come from mild traumatic brain injury and combat-stress conditions. We believe that an overall improved understanding of these brain conditions will translate into better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

The Gunlicks-Stoessel Lab conducts community-based intervention research focused on the development and implementation of more effective and accessible services to best support youth mental health. We are also committed to understanding how family relationships during adolescence impact youth well-being and mental health.