# Mid-Career Mentorship and Research in Imaging-Related Patient-Oriented Research

> **NIH NIH K24** · MCLEAN HOSPITAL · 2020 · $186,197

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND: NIMH-sponsored meetings (2014) and the 1st and 2nd Congresses on Pediatric Irritability
(Sept 2015 and 2017) highlighted the critical need for greater understanding of the brain/behavior mechanisms
underlying irritability in children— particularly in trans-diagnostic samples of children drawn across the range of
irritability, rather than a single DSM disorder. The reason is that irritability and resultant aggression are the
most common symptoms for which parents seek psychiatric care for their children (>40% of ED cases, >20%
of psychiatric outpatient visits). Childhood irritability is a significant predictor of impairment in adulthood,
including psychopathology, suicide, and decreased financial attainment. The career development objectives
of this K24 Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (POR) are to gain expertise in (1)
computational psychiatry techniques including modeling of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data;
(2) white matter connectivity via diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and diffusion spectral imaging (DSI), and (3)
mentorship in education. The research objectives of this K24 Award are: (1) identify PFC-amygdala-striatal
circuit-based clusters of irritability using computational psychiatry modeling of event-related reversal learning
fMRI, resting-state fMRI, and diffusion white matter connectivity data, and (2) to develop, pilot, and test a novel
tiered mentorship program for imaging-related POR for medical and psychology trainees and early career
faculty. My central hypothesis is that all irritability does not result from a single mechanism; rather unique
symptom clusters of irritability result from specific PFC-amygdala-striatal circuit alterations mediating cognitive
flexibility. The rationale for this K24 proposal is that, at this critical juncture in my career, it will allow me to
acquire new imaging and mentorship skills, passing them on to the next generation of clinician/scientists.
Research Method: I will test this hypothesis by enrolling a trans-diagnostic sample of n=72 adolescents ages
13-16 years drawn across the range of irritability, while using extant data from children with bipolar disorder
and typically-developing controls to initially learn computational psychiatry modeling and DTI analysis methods
from my mentors. This K24 is innovative because it will tackle the NIMH-high priority area with cutting-edge
imaging techniques, including multi-band fMRI scanning for better temporal resolution of fMRI data,
computational psychiatry modeling for better inference/interpretation of these data, and multi-band DTI/DSI
scanning that can address prior concerns of difficulty resolving crossing white matter tracts and long scan
times. This K24 is significant because it will address the NIMH high-priority area of research on pediatric
irritability (NIMH Strategic Plan 1.1 and 1.3), while my plan for mentorship and innovative curricular sharing will
help fuel th...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10307676
- **Project number:** 7K24MH110402-04
- **Recipient organization:** MCLEAN HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** DANIEL P DICKSTEIN
- **Activity code:** K24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $186,197
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 2018-07-01 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10307676

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10307676, Mid-Career Mentorship and Research in Imaging-Related Patient-Oriented Research (7K24MH110402-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10307676. Licensed CC0.

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