Melanie Morrison

Melanie Morrison, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in residence in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at UCSF and a core member of the UCSF-UC Berkeley Joint PhD Program in Bioengineering. She holds a BSc in Integrated Sciences (Physics) from Carleton University (2013) and a PhD in Medical Biophysics from the University of Toronto (2016). Her postdoctoral training (2016–2022) focused on brain tumor projects under Dr. Janine Lupo.

Her research centers on clinical translation of advanced MRI techniques to improve neuromodulation therapies for neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions. Key areas include: (1) precise brain targeting for neuromodulation via multimodal 3T/7T MRI; (2) predictive imaging markers for treatment efficacy; and (3) real-time brain function evaluation during neuromodulation. Supported grants include NINDS R01 and NIMH R21 funding. Her lab emphasizes methodological transparency and accessibility in translational neuroimaging.

Notable achievements include the 2023 Chancellor's Conference Grant, 2020 Bruce Hasegawa Award, and over 50 peer-reviewed publications. She is deeply committed to mentorship and advancing equity in academia, particularly for underrepresented trainees.

Current projects include cerebellar DBS for cerebral palsy (NIH NINDS-funded clinical trial), 7T MRI prediction of Parkinson's outcomes, and OCD network analysis via fMRI/intracranial recordings. Her lab operates at UCSF Radiology with GitHub resources available for imaging tools and protocols.