Brenda Cabrera-Mendoza

Brenda Cabrera-Mendoza, MD, PhD, is a Research Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, working in Dr. Renato Polimanti's lab. She completed her medical degree (MD) and doctoral studies (PhD) at the National Autonomous University of Mexico under the Combined Studies Program in Medicine (PECEM). Her research focuses on genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying suicidal behavior, substance use disorders, and psychiatric traits. Key areas include polygenic risk assessment, Mendelian randomization, and cross-tissue epigenetic analyses.

• Education: MD and PhD, National Autonomous University of Mexico (2017 and 2020)
• Affiliations: Polimanti Lab, Yale School of Medicine

Research Interests: Her work bridges genetic epidemiology and clinical psychiatry, with emphasis on:

• Genetic determinants of suicide and substance use
• Mendelian randomization to assess causal relationships
• Epigenetic changes in psychiatric disorders
• Socioeconomic and demographic confounders in genetic studies

Awards: MQ Mental Health Research Grant, Tony Massini Postdoctoral Fellowship, DeLill Nasser Award (GSA), and STAT Wunderkind recognition. Active in diversity initiatives through the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology Inclusivity Committee and International Society of Psychiatric Genetics IDEA committee.

Recent Work Trends: Over 20 peer-reviewed publications since 2020, emphasizing polygenic risk modeling, epigenetic clocks in substance use, and genetic moderation by psychological factors. Collaborates with global consortia like the Latin American Genomics Consortium.