THE PHYSICIAN & THE SCIENTIST
( L-R ) Dhakshin Ramanathan PhD ’ 07 , MD ’ 09 and Jyoti Mishra , PhD ’ 08
PARTNERS IN THE LAB , PARTNERS IN LIFE — such is the story of husband and wife alumni Dhakshin Ramanathan and Jyoti Mishra , a pair of Tritons who met while studying neuroscience in grad school , then came back to discover more about the mind .
The duo met as grad students in a research lab focused on human brain function , launching a shared interest in mental health . Yet as the two grew close , their research pursuits took different paths — Ramanathan went into psychiatry and the clinical treatment of mental illness , while Mishra went on to further research human brain functions and its links with cognition .
These two specialties are the heart of their joint effort at UC San Diego , Neural Engineering and Translation Labs , or NEATLabs , which uses integrated neuroscience and engineering approaches to inform mental health diagnosis and treatment .
“ We want to achieve an objective understanding of the basis of mental disorders ,” explains Mishra . “ We use measures of brain and cognitive function and engineering tools that help us gather such data in the clinic and community . We also want to make sure our methods are accessible to the clinician , so they can replace the traditional approach , which is more subjective — a patient interprets how they feel and a doctor reports this as symptoms for diagnosis .”
UC San Diego clearly holds a special place in their hearts , beyond just bringing them together . They both attribute the university ’ s openness toward collaboration as the main reason they brought their work back . “ The interdepartment connectedness is part of the culture here ,” Ramanathan says . Already , NEATLabs has formed partnerships with the School of Medicine , the Jacobs School of Engineering and the on-campus U . S . Department of Veterans Affairs to explore new methods to predict and treat mental disorders .
“ Even though I ’ m not treating the patient , the work of our lab really has immediate application ,” says Mishra , referencing digital technologies her team has developed to improve cognition . “ That research can be readily taken further and made into an actual therapy .”
And as for Ramanathan , “ I see patients all the time , so I lend that perspective to the research ,” he says . “ So whether at work or at home , we ’ re always a team . We ’ re really in this together .”
What inspires you on campus ?
“ The drive to constantly make things better .” Jay Varughese ’ 97 Associate Clinical Professor , Director of Inpatient Oncology
“ Initiatives to tackle climate change on the state , national and global levels at this time in history .” Eric Johnson ’ 16 Teaching Assistant , Warren Writing Program
“ How quickly this place has gone from inception to a worldclass research university .” Abraham Palmer , PhD ’ 99 Professor and Vice Chair for Research , Department of Psychiatry
“ The dedication of students — their perseverance , ability to adapt and how they almost always have a positive outlook .” Jeff Omens ’ 83 Faculty Member , Medicine and Bioengineering
“ Our educational standards , medical standards , and the environment to maximize my medical and surgical capabilities .” Michael Levy ’ 81 Professor of Neurology
“ The constant change and innovation reminds me to keep moving forward , and that being static is not an option .” Kristen Weidler ’ 14 Business Development and Procurement , UC San Diego Logistics
“ I ’ m inspired when I see passion — whether in a faculty member giving a talk , students learning or staff sharing their expertise . UC San Diego is a place where ideas thrive , goals are achieved and people work together .” Annamarie Bryson ’ 95 Chief Administrative Officer , Scripps Institution of Oceanography
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