Robert Hermosillo, PhD
Summary of Current Research
I received my B.S. in Human Physiology and a M.S. in Neurophysiology from the University of Oregon in Eugene, and a Ph.D. in Systems Neuroscience from the University of British Columbia in Canada. I also held a postdoctoral fellowship in Speech and Hearing Sciences, investigating speech motor disorders at the University of Washington in Seattle. I’m currently a recipient of the OHSU Fellowship for Diversity Inclusion in Research Award (OFDIR). Our ability to diagnose psychiatric disorders is limited by our ability to observe behaviors during clinical evaluation, however clinical heterogeneity and the imprecise nature of diagnosis represent fundamentally confounding factors limiting a better understanding of their etiology, prevention, and treatment. My research aim is to be able to discriminate between developmental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and potential sub types based on brain function. I use a combination of machine learning algorithms, genetics, and state-of-the-art neuroimagining techniques to look at brain networks and classify neuropsychiatric disorders.
Julia Moser, PhD
Summary of Current Research
I joined the lab in September 2021 after my PhD in Neural and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Tübingen in Germany. Prior to my PhD, I received a B.S in Psychology from the University of Konstanz and a M.S. in Neural and Behavioral Sciences from the University of Tübingen’s International Max Planck Research School. During my time in Tübingen, my research focused on the development of cognitive abilities during the last trimester of pregnancy and shortly after birth. Here in Minnesota I will continue investigating very early brain development by looking at the development of functional connectivity networks in infants in their first weeks and months of life. In addition to my interest for the development of brains, I am interested in the development of our scientific field. As a member of the Flux Society’s Diversity Committee and founding member of the Neuro Chapter of the Tübingen Open Science Initiative I try to contribute towards inclusivity and openness.
Julian “Bene” Ramirez, PhD
Summary of Current Research
I joined the DCAN lab in late 2023, as Post-Doctoral Associate with the goal of leveraging the high-field 7T and 10T scanners at CMRR to better understand the fundamentals of brain function. I aim to research unique functional connectivity patterns in individuals and delineate core principles of brain function throughout development. Previously, I held a Post-Doctoral role at the Child Mind Institute in New York, working with Dr. Ting Xu and Dr. Michael Milham on Non-Human Primate studies to map early developmental stages and characterizing resting-state functional temporal dynamics across the awake and anesthetized states. My Ph.D. research at Oregon Health & Science University, under the mentorship of Dr. Damien Fair, examined how maternal health—specifically inflammation and a “Western-Style Diet”—affects the structural and functional development of the brain using a Japanese macaque model. With a solid foundation in fMRI data analysis and image preprocessing gathered across diverse research environments, I am excited to integrate my past research insights to spearhead novel studies in high-field fMRI at the University of Minnesota.
Carina Heller, PhD
Summary of Current Research
I joined MIDB in September 2024 as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, working with Dr. Bart Larsen. I hold a PhD in psychology from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany) and have received training at the Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory (PNL), Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and as a visiting Postdoctoral Research fellow at the University of Oxford (UK). My research focuses on investigating the impact of sex steroids, including estradiol and progesterone, on the brain, particularly across the menstrual cycle and under hormonal suppression through oral contraceptives intake in both adolescents and adults. I employ dense-sampling and big data methods to capture hormonal fluctuations and their effects on brain structure and function. My commitment to advancing women’s brain and mental health research is further reflected in my role as co-chair of the ENIGMA Neuroendocrinology Working Group, launched in September 2023. This initiative aims to bridge the gap in neuroscience and psychiatry, where studies examining the influence of sex and gender currently represent only about 5% of the field. Outside of work, I enjoy live music, fine arts, and going for bike rides.
Holly Sullivan-Toole, PhD
Summary of Current Research
I joined the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain (MIDB) in October of 2024 as a Post-
Doctoral Associate. My research career began with a focus on reward responsivity, which
remains central to my work. I developed a foundation in cognitive neuroscience during a post-
baccalaureate position at Rutgers-Newark and later received my PhD through the Neuroscience
track of Virginia Tech’s Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health program. Across these roles,
my work examined reward responsivity in relation to effort-based decision making, personal
control, anhedonia, and cutaneous inflammation, using novel behavioral tasks, fMRI, and
ultraviolet-induced erythema. During a previous postdoctoral position at Temple University, I
conducted F32-funded research under the supervision of Tom Olino and Ingrid Olson, exploring
mechanisms of changing reward responsivity across adolescence and how these mechanisms
are altered in those at risk for depression. Specifically, I used reinforcement learning modeling
to examine how risk for psychopathology is associated with developmental trajectories of
different reward learning parameters and used diffusion imaging to examine the development
of reward circuitry in youth with and without a maternal history of depression. At the University
of Minnesota, I am excited to work with Bart Larsen and the MIBD team to understand the role
of brain tissue iron in the development of reward responsivity and the etiology of
psychopathologies.
