Martha E. Shenton, PhD
Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology
Research Roles/Affiliations
Founding Director, Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory,
Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School;
Research Associate, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Contact Information
1249 Boylston Street, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02215
Phone: 617-699-6152
E-mail: shenton@bwh.harvard.edu
Relevant Links
Research
Her research focuses on schizophrenia (chronic, first episode, early psychosis, and clinical high risk) where she investigates the neurobiological underpinnings of psychosis using advanced brain imaging techniques. She has extended this work to mild traumatic injuries, including sports related injuries. With respect to the latter, she is involved in a study of former National Football Players and college players using advanced imaging approaches, with the goal of diagnosing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in living individuals. Currently CTE is a diagnosis that can be made only post-mortem. She and members of her laboratory have been in the forefront of the field in neuropsychiatry in developing advanced neuroimaging techniques for harmonizing data across sites and for measuring advanced diffusion imaging. She has received numerous awards in recognition of her research—a National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD) Distinguished Investigator Award; the William Silen Lifetime Achievement Award for Mentoring, an award across all departments at HMS; the Fifth Recipient of the Joseph Zubin Memorial Fund Award for Research in Psychopathology; the William F. Milton Fund Award for Scientific Research, Harvard University; the Catedra Professor Carlos Lloyd Braga Honorary Chair, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal; the Stuart T. Hauser, M.D., Ph.D. Mentorship Award, Departments of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; and the Nelson Butters Award for Research Contributions in Clinical Neuropsychopathology, presented by the National Academy of Neuropsychology. Most recent projects include investigating biomarkers (imaging, EEG, blood/fluid), and outcome measures in those at clinical high risk for psychosis where she is PI of the data processing, analysis, and coordination center for the Accelerated Medicines Program in Schizophrenia.
Research Interests
Schizophrenia
Psychotic Disorders
Clinical High Risk for Psychosis
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Diffusion Imaging
Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques