Bio
My research interests include affective disorders, especially winter depression, circadian rhythms, light therapy, thermoregulation, melatonin, polysomnographic sleep, electroconvulsive therapy, suicide, and pharmologic treatment of impulsive aggression.
I am presently doing a study comparing dawn simulation and bright light therapy in the treatment of winter depression (Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD). I am analyzing data and writing papers concerning the circadian rhythms of temperature, cortisol, melatonin, and thyroid stimulating hormone in SAD. In addition, I am examining the seasonal aspects of suicide in King County, Washington.
I am currently investigating repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the treatment of medication-resistant depression. With rTMS, a powerful electromagnetic induces a strong magnetic field on the scalp. The changing magnetic field in turn is able to stimulate neurons in the cortex. Preliminary data, including data from our site, suggest that rTMS applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may have antidepressant effects. In addition, preliminary data suggest no neuropsychological decrements with this procedure.
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