Multidisciplinary research at the crossroads of psychology, physiology, and neurobiology.

Because the map is not the territory

Explorations (in progress and on the horizon)

Research collaborator on projects affiliated with labs at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Ongoing interests cover investigations into cognitive behaviour, neurobiology and physiology of individuals in extreme environments.

• Project development, subject interviews, and write up for NASA analog study on characterizing interpersonal behaviour and problem-solving strategies in teams deployed to isolated, confined and extreme environments.

• Project implementation, data analysis and write up on NASA operational performance and balance/posturography outcomes in partial gravity (parabolic flight analog).

• Associations between stress, social dynamics, and neuroimmunology in emergency or crisis response populations functioning in extreme, confined, and isolated environments.

• Mapping psychophysiological and neurobiological determinants of resilience as it corresponds to stress management, mental health and recovery.

Charted expanses (concluded studies)

Concluded involvement in:

• BEACON-R (Behavioral, Affective, Cognitive and Neurophysiological Responses to Spaceflight): A ‘first’ involving Virgin Galactic, Turkish Space Agency, Axiom and a consortia of leading academic institutions (LSU, Northeastern, MIT) for understanding the mechanics behind spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) and insight into emotional and physiological responses associated with the ‘Overview Effect’, and spaceflight-induced changes in stress and immune functions. (MGH/HMS)

• NASA CIPHER BASIS PNI: Integrated Protocols for human exploration research into interactions that contribute to adverse cognitive, sleep-related and behavioural conditions or mental disorders during exploration class space missions. (MGH/HMS)

• PTSD and stress in emergency responders. Research into functional brain monitoring and heart rate variation activity to assess occupational health risks in firefighter populations. (MGH/HMS, Last Call Foundation)

• Diet, psychophysiology and gut microbiome in genetic isolate populations. (MGH/HMS)

My first independent study established the foundation for the current research trajectory. Travel Far Enough, Meet Yourself: Subjective Interoception, Emotion Regulation, and the Psychedelic Experience—Implications for Crisis Management in Middle Adulthood, investigated if certain coping measures in midlife are associated with improved crisis/stress management and mental health outcomes. Middle adulthood presents a confluence of chronic stressors that compromise interoceptive awareness, dampen resilience, increase maladaptive responses and affect the onboarding of helpful coping approaches. The study examined crisis episodes in midlife, looking at whether maladaptive traits increase crisis frequency and if psychedelic experiences influence crisis management and emotional regulation.

Key findings: Nearly all respondents reported current or past crisis episodes, with peak incidence between the ages 41-50. Most experienced increases in dangerous or risk behaviours, as well as changes to interoceptive awareness and stress thresholds. Psychedelic experiences showed marginal impact on crisis management for a subset of participants. Full thesis available here.