Fatemeh Haghighi

Fatemeh Haghighi, PhD, is a Professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a Senior Researcher at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center. She directs the Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and the Resilience and Wellness Center (RWC), focusing on molecular mechanisms of suicide risk and resilience, and the effects of blast injuries on veterans.

Education:

• PhD in Statistical Genetics, Columbia University
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Bioinformatics, Columbia University

Dr. Haghighi's research centers on epigenetics as the mechanism linking environmental stressors to suicide risk and neuropathology. Her lab investigates DNA methylation changes due to traumatic brain injury and blast exposures in veterans, using genomics and machine learning to identify biomarkers. She also develops complementary and integrative health interventions, such as horticultural therapy, to promote resilience and prevent suicide through the Resilience and Wellness Center.

Leadership and Programs:

• Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics: Studies epigenetic mechanisms of suicide and blast injury effects.
• Resilience and Wellness Center (RWC): Offers holistic complementary and integrative health interventions; program evaluations show significant reductions in suicidal ideation, depression, and PTSD symptoms.

Dr. Haghighi collaborates with the VA and DoD on veteran health, and her work bridges basic molecular research with clinical applications to address the critical public health issue of veteran suicide.