معرفی
Irina Esterlis is a Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and Director of the Molecular Imaging Program at the VA's National Center for PTSD. She also leads the Mood, Anxiety, and Cognitive Sciences Division. Her research focuses on translational neuroimaging studies of neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression, trauma, and suicide, using PET and MRS techniques to investigate glutamatergic and cholinergic systems. Dr. Esterlis holds secondary appointments as Associate Professor in Psychology and Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, reflecting her interdisciplinary work.
Education: PhD (2005), MA (2003), BA (1999) from University of Connecticut and SUNY Buffalo.
Research interests include synaptic density biomarkers, metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR5) imaging, and ketamine's neurobiological effects. Her lab pioneered in vivo imaging of acetylcholine and glutamate systems, linking synaptic alterations to psychiatric symptoms. Key findings include synaptic deficits in depression, PTSD, and autism spectrum disorder.
Recent studies highlight synaptic density's role in pain modulation, trauma-cannabis interactions, and resilience among mental health workers during conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war. She leads clinical trials on synaptic imaging in mood disorders and collaborates on NIH-funded studies.
Awards include recognition from the Society of Nuclear Medicine and AAAS. Her work bridges basic science and clinical applications, advancing understanding of neuropsychiatric disorders' pathophysiology.
