The 2022 Transformative Scholar Awards from Mass General Neuroscience encourage and support young investigators in conducting laboratory and/or clinical research in the Neurosciences, Brain Health and Tinnitus. The awards offer junior investigators at the level of Instructor or Assistant Professor with an MD and/or Ph.D. a commitment of $150,000 total costs over two years to support salary and/or research expenses at Mass General.
From the Department of Psychiatry, Robyn Thom, MD is the recipient of the award in the category of Brain Health. Dr. Thom is an attending psychiatrist at the Massachusetts General Hospital Lurie Center for Autism and an Instructor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Thom has a specific interest in the psychiatric care of individuals with Williams syndrome, and this award will allow her to continue her research in this patient population.
Brain Aging in Adults with Williams Syndrome
Williams syndrome (WS) is a hemizygous microdeletion genetic syndrome with a neurocognitive profile characterized by mild-to-moderate intellectual disabiliy and a hypersocial, empathetic personality. The overall goal of the proposed study is to obtain and compare neuroimaging and psychometric data in 15 adults with Williams syndrome (WS) to 15 healthy age- and sex-matched controls to assess brain aging. All subjects will provide demographic and medical history, complete a neuropsychological testing battery, and undergo a brain MRI including select sequences from the Human Connectome Lifespan Aging Project. We hypothesize that adults with WS will demonstrate premature brain aging observed by decreased cerebral blood flow, cortical thinning, and decreased volume in several brain regions including the hippocampus as well as greater standardized psychometric deficits in areas associated with vascular brain disease.
Mass General Neuroscience
Mass General Neuroscience was launched in 2018 by the chiefs of the departments of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. Together, Merit Cudkowicz, MD, MSc, Bob Carter, MD, PhD and Maurizio Fava, MD, created a vision for providing compassionate, integrated, multidisciplinary care for patients with brain and nervous system disease and their families. The leadership team works closely with other neuroscience leaders from across the hospital to ensure the advancement of collaborative neuroscience.
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Thom RP, Balaj K, Keary CJ, Pober BR, McDougle CJ. Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder in Williams Syndrome: Case Series and Review of Relevant Literature. J Acad Consult Liaison Psychiatry. 2022 Mar-Apr; 63(2):170-179.
Huston JC, Thom RP, Ravichandran CT, Mullett JE, Moran C, Waxler JL, Pober BR, McDougle CJ. Repetitive Thoughts and Repetitive Behaviors in Williams Syndrome. J Autism Dev Disord. 2022 Feb; 52(2):852-862.
Thom RP, Pober BR, McDougle CJ. Psychopharmacology of Williams syndrome: safety, tolerability, and effectiveness. Expert Opin Drug Saf. 2021 Mar; 20(3):293-306.
