Deborah A. Yurgelun-Todd,
PhD
Languages Spoken: English
Deborah Yurgelun-Todd, PhD, Professor and Vice Chair of Research, completed her doctorate in Psychology from Harvard University and subsequently trained at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She serves as Director of the Salt Lake City Mental Illness Research and Clinical Center (MIRECC) for the VISN 19 VA Health Care System and Director of the Salt Lake City VA Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment. Her training in neuroscience and psychopathology has led to the application of multimodal imaging approaches aimed at identifying neurobiological bases of major psychiatric disorders. She has received funding for her research from NIMH, NIDA, CDC, CIA, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Her recent work has focused on understanding the neurobiologic basis of impulsivity, mood regulation and decision-making as risk factors for behavioral disorders. She served as an author on more than 250 publications and is a standing member on both NIH and VA grant review committees.
Specialties
Board Certification and Academic Information
| Academic Departments | Psychiatry
-
Professor |
| Academic Divisions | Adult Psychiatry |
Deborah Yurgelun-Todd, PhD, Professor and Vice Chair of Research, completed her doctorate in Psychology from Harvard University and subsequently trained at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She serves as Director of the Salt Lake City Mental Illness Research and Clinical Center (MIRECC) for the VISN 19 VA Health Care System and Director of the Salt Lake City VA Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment. Her training in neuroscience and psychopathology has led to the application of multimodal imaging approaches aimed at identifying neurobiological bases of major psychiatric disorders. She has received funding for her research from NIMH, NIDA, CDC, CIA, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Her recent work has focused on understanding the neurobiologic basis of impulsivity, mood regulation and decision-making as risk factors for behavioral disorders. She served as an author on more than 250 publications and is a standing member on both NIH and VA grant review committees.
Academic Locations
801-587-1202
Research Statement
A. Narrative Report of Research, Teaching, and Clinical Contributions The focus of my research has been on the identification of brain abnormalities, particularly disruptions of the fronto-temporal network, which may represent risk factors for psychiatric illness or may be the site of primary pathology in these illnesses. Research studies have primarily included the application of neuropsychological measures, neurological hard signs, and magnetic resonance imaging methods completed both in patients and their well relatives. In recent years, this work has been extended by applying magnetic resonance techniques to study the effects of development on cortico-limbic networks in healthy children and adolescents. Additional ongoing studies have examined changes in these same networks produced by therapeutic antipsychotic drugs, as well as drugs of abuse. My future investigations will continue to examine the similarities and differences between functional cortical brain changes associated with pharmacotherapy of adult illness and healthy development.
Board Certification and Academic Information
| Academic Departments | Psychiatry
-
Professor |
| Academic Divisions | Adult Psychiatry |
Education History
| Postdoctoral Fellowship | Boston Neurobehavioral Institute Postdoctoral Fellow |
| Doctoral Training | Harvard University Neuro/Psych Ph.D. |
| Graduate Training | Harvard University Psychology M.A. |
| Graduate Training | Boston College Psychology M.A. |
| Undergraduate | Mount Holyoke College Biology B.A. |
Selected Publications - Journal Articles
Journal Article
- Sheth C, McGlade E, Yurgelun-Todd D (2017). Chronic Stress in Adolescents and its Neurobiological and Psychopathological Consequences: A RDoC Perspective. Chronic Stress (Thousand Oaks), 1, 1-22.
- Lopez-Larson MP, Shah LM, Weeks HR, King JB, Mallik AK, Yurgelun-Todd DA, Anderson JS (2017). Abnormal Functional Connectivity Between Default and Salience Networks in Pediatric Bipolar Disorder. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging, 2(1), 85–93.
- Bermudez J, Krizaj D, Lipschitz DL, Bueler CE, Rogowska J, Yurgelun-Todd D, Nakamura Y (2016). Externally-induced meditative states: an exploratory fMRI study of architects' responses to contemplative architecture. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 6(2), 123-136.
- Legarreta M, Bueler CE, DiMuzio D, McGlade E, Yurgelun-Todd D (2016). Pain Catastrophizing, Perceived Pain Disability, and Pain Descriptors: Their Association with Neuropsychological Performance. Prof Psychol Res Pr, 46(7), 418-426.
- Epstein DJ, Legarreta M, Bueler E, King J, McGlade E, Yurgelun-Todd D (2016). Orbitofrontal cortical thinning and aggression in mild traumatic brain injury patients. Brain Behav, 6(12), e00581.
- Subramaniam P, McGlade E, Yurgelun-Todd D (2016). Comorbid Cannabis and Tobacco Use in Adolescents and Adults. Curr Addict Rep, 3(2), 182–188.
- DiMuzio J, Bueler C, Hicks-Little C, Fuller A, McGlade E, Yurgelun-Todd D (2016). Orbitalfrontal Connectivity and Impulsivity Characteristics in Collegiate Football Players. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 48(5 Suppl 1), 904.
- Bueler E, Epstein D, Hicks-Little C, Fuller A, DiMuzio J, McGlade E, Yurgelun-Todd D (2016). Aggression and Quality of Life in Collegiate Football Players at Pre-season and One-year Follow Up. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 48(5S Suppl 1), 843.
- McGlade E, Bakian A, Coon H, Yurgelun-Todd D, Callor, WB, Byrd J, Gray D (2016). Male Suspected Suicide Decedents in Utah: A Comparison of Veterans and Nonveterans. Compr Psychiatry, 69, 1-10.
- Graham J, Legarreta M, North L, DiMuzio J, McGlade E, Yurgelun-Todd D (2016). A Preliminary Study of DSM-5 PTSD symptom Patterns in Veterans by Trauma Type. Mil Psychol, 28(2), 115-122.
- King J, Lopez-Larson M, Yurgelun-Todd D (2016). Mean cortical curvature reflects cytoarchitecture restructuring in mild traumatic brain injury. Neuroimage (Amst), 11, 81-89.
- McGlade E, Rogowska J, Yurgelun-Todd D (2015). Sex differences in orbitofrontal connectivity in male and female veterans with TBI. Brain Imaging Behav, 9(3), 535-549.
- Baskin-Sommers AR, Hooley JM, Dahlgren MK, Gonenc A, Yurgelun-Todd DA, Gruber SA (2015). Elevated Preattentive Affective Processing in Individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder: A Preliminary fMRI Study. Front Psychol, 6.
Patent
- Yurgelun-Todd, D, Renshaw, P (2019). Methods and compositions for improving cognitive performance 20100041621.
- Yurgelun-Todd, D, Renshaw, P (2019). Methods for improving frontal brain bioenergetic metabolism 20100041620.
- Yurgelun-Todd, D, Renshaw, P (2015). Administration of Citicoline to Improve Cognitive Performance, Attentional Performance, and Motor Function. U.S. Patent No. PCT/IB2015/053178. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
- Yurgelun-Todd, D, Renshaw, P (2015). Combination of Creatine, an Omega-3 Fatty Acid, and Citicoline. U.S. Patent No. PCT/US2015/014856. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
- Yurgelun-Todd, D, Renshaw, P (2003). Use of secretin in treatments of disorders associated with the amygdala. U.S. Patent No. PCT/US2004/015282. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.