Home Department: Psychology
Mentor: Carolyn Rodriguez (Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences)

“Suicide Attempt Risk Prediction Biomarker Study”

Suicide is a major cause of death, and the suicide rate has been steadily increasing worldwide. There are no FDA-approved medications for suicide attempt prevention in non-psychotic patients. Interventions are urgently needed, as approximately 60% of individuals who complete suicide do so on their first attempt. Julia’s IRB-approved project will involve using behavioral assessment and an online well-validated cognitive test battery in individuals with suicidal thoughts to test the hypothesis that cognitive control – which enables humans to flexibly switch between thought and action and to regulate perseverative thought content – may be a modifiable risk factor for underlying vulnerability for suicide attempts.