Milenna Tamara Van Dijk, PhD
- Assistant Professor of Neurobiology (in Psychiatry)
Overview
Milenna van Dijk, Ph.D., is a translational neuroscientist specializing in mechanisms of resilience and susceptibility to depression and suicidality across generations. She obtained a B.Sc. in Physics & Astronomy and a B.Sc. in Psychobiology from the University of Amsterdam, an M.Sc. in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from the University of Amsterdam, and a Ph.D. in Cell Biology (Neuroscience track) from New York University. She completed her postdoctoral training in Translational Epidemiology at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute.
Dr. van Dijk joined the faculty in 2024. Her research program uniquely combines expertise in rodent neuroscience, human neuroimaging, psychiatric epidemiology, and functional genomics to translate findings from experimental models to human populations. The ultimate goal of her research is to identify youth most likely to develop psychopathology in the face of familial risk and early adversity exposures to be to steer prevention efforts to those who may need it most. Her work is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, Brain Behavior Research Foundation, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Columbia Center for Depression. Dr. van Dijk is deeply committed to fostering a collaborative and inclusive academic community and mentoring the next generation of scientists in interdisciplinary, translational research that transforms discovery into real-world impact. She is especially dedicated to expanding opportunities and representation for scholars from historically underrepresented backgrounds in STEM.
Dr. van Dijk joined the faculty in 2024. Her research program uniquely combines expertise in rodent neuroscience, human neuroimaging, psychiatric epidemiology, and functional genomics to translate findings from experimental models to human populations. The ultimate goal of her research is to identify youth most likely to develop psychopathology in the face of familial risk and early adversity exposures to be to steer prevention efforts to those who may need it most. Her work is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, Brain Behavior Research Foundation, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Columbia Center for Depression. Dr. van Dijk is deeply committed to fostering a collaborative and inclusive academic community and mentoring the next generation of scientists in interdisciplinary, translational research that transforms discovery into real-world impact. She is especially dedicated to expanding opportunities and representation for scholars from historically underrepresented backgrounds in STEM.
Academic Appointments
- Assistant Professor of Neurobiology (in Psychiatry)
Administrative Titles
- Investigator, Institute for Developmental Science
- Research Scientist, New York State Psychiatric Institute
Gender
- Female
Credentials & Experience
Education & Training
- PhD, Cell Biology (Neuroscience track), New York University
- MSc, Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
- BSc (Honors), Physics & Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Fellowship: Translational Epidemiology, Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute
Honors & Awards
• 2023 - James Kirk Bernard Foundation Award for Excellence in the Biological Exploration of Suicide
• 2023 - Most Collaborative Prize, Columbia University Department of Psychiatry's Annual Science Celebration
• 2022 - NIMH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award
• 2022 - Glassman Award for Distinguished Scientific Contribution by a Fellow or a Resident, Columbia University Medical Center
• 2022 - American College for Neuropsychopharmacology Travel Award
• 2022 - Ann Kelley Memorial Travel Fellow, Winter Conference on Brain Research
• 2021 - American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Young Investigator Grant
• 2023 - Most Collaborative Prize, Columbia University Department of Psychiatry's Annual Science Celebration
• 2022 - NIMH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award
• 2022 - Glassman Award for Distinguished Scientific Contribution by a Fellow or a Resident, Columbia University Medical Center
• 2022 - American College for Neuropsychopharmacology Travel Award
• 2022 - Ann Kelley Memorial Travel Fellow, Winter Conference on Brain Research
• 2021 - American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Young Investigator Grant
Research
Depression is now one of the leading causes of disability in young people. Yet even among children who grow up with a family history of depression or experience serious early life stress, not all will develop mental illness. Dr. van Dijk's research asks a hopeful and urgent question: Why do some young people succumb to depression, while others remain resilient?
Her lab works at the intersection of neuroscience, genetics, and development to uncover the biological foundations of vulnerability and resilience. By combining brain imaging, genomic science, and large-scale longitudinal studies — including the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study — her team investigates how inherited risk and life experiences shape the developing brain. Her research has shown that depression risk can be traced across generations and is reflected in differences in brain systems involved in memory, emotion regulation, and reward.
A unique aspect of her program is its translational approach. Insights from animal models and human brain tissue studies are carefully translated into tools that can be used in large human cohort studies. By identifying patterns of gene activity that make the brain more sensitive — or more adaptable — to stress, her team aims to pinpoint which youth are most at risk before depression fully emerges.
The long-term vision of this work is prevention. Rather than waiting for severe symptoms to appear, Dr. van Dijk seeks to identify biological mechanisms that can guide early, personalized intervention. By understanding how genes and experiences interact during critical periods of development, her research aims to transform how we predict, prevent, and ultimately reduce the burden of depression in the next generation.
Her lab works at the intersection of neuroscience, genetics, and development to uncover the biological foundations of vulnerability and resilience. By combining brain imaging, genomic science, and large-scale longitudinal studies — including the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study — her team investigates how inherited risk and life experiences shape the developing brain. Her research has shown that depression risk can be traced across generations and is reflected in differences in brain systems involved in memory, emotion regulation, and reward.
A unique aspect of her program is its translational approach. Insights from animal models and human brain tissue studies are carefully translated into tools that can be used in large human cohort studies. By identifying patterns of gene activity that make the brain more sensitive — or more adaptable — to stress, her team aims to pinpoint which youth are most at risk before depression fully emerges.
The long-term vision of this work is prevention. Rather than waiting for severe symptoms to appear, Dr. van Dijk seeks to identify biological mechanisms that can guide early, personalized intervention. By understanding how genes and experiences interact during critical periods of development, her research aims to transform how we predict, prevent, and ultimately reduce the burden of depression in the next generation.
Research Interests
- Functional Genomics
- Intergenerational Transmission
- Neuroimaging
- Stress Susceptibility and Resilience
- Translational neuroscience
Grants
Hippocampal and Genetic Mechanisms Underlying Development of Depression in Children at High Family Risk
Grant: National Institute of Mental Health (R00MH129611)
Role: Principal Investigator
Period: 09/2024 – 08/2027
Summary: This K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award supports research leveraging a unique translational approach with hypotheses generated from rodent studies applied to highly characterized clinical studies and then extended to large diverse population samples, to investigate hippocampal, genetic and childhood environmental factors that predict onset of depression in children at high risk for mood disorders.
Resilience-related Genes by Environmental Mechanisms to Mitigate Adolescent Depression and Anxiety: a Translational Approach
Grant: Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator Grant
Role: Principal Investigator
Period: 01/2026 – 12/2027
Summary: This project investigates how variation in hippocampal gene expression, found to be causal to resilience in rodent studies, influences resilience to adversity and protects against depression and anxiety in youth using expression-based polygenic scores (ePGS) in the ABCD Study.
Do genetic profiles that promote resilience to stress protect against risk for adolescent suicidality after early adversity exposure?
Grant: Columbia Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Depression Saks Avenue Transformational Depression Research Award
Role: Principal Investigator
Period: 09/2025 – 08/2026
Summary: Using key hippocampal genetic pathways that lead to resilience in mice exposed to stress, this project determines whether similar genetic pathways in human adolescents can increase resilience to adversity and thereby mitigate the likelihood that youth will develop suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
Frontal-limbic abnormalities and early life stress in susceptibility and resilience to suicide
Grant: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Young Investigator Grant (YIG-R-001-19)
Role: Principal Investigator
Period: 04/2021 – 06/2023
Summary: This grant examined neurobiological and environmental risk factors and their interplay to identify which at-risk offspring develop suicidal attempts and ideation versus who remains resilient, focusing on frontal-limbic markers and early life adversity.
Grant: National Institute of Mental Health (R00MH129611)
Role: Principal Investigator
Period: 09/2024 – 08/2027
Summary: This K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award supports research leveraging a unique translational approach with hypotheses generated from rodent studies applied to highly characterized clinical studies and then extended to large diverse population samples, to investigate hippocampal, genetic and childhood environmental factors that predict onset of depression in children at high risk for mood disorders.
Resilience-related Genes by Environmental Mechanisms to Mitigate Adolescent Depression and Anxiety: a Translational Approach
Grant: Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator Grant
Role: Principal Investigator
Period: 01/2026 – 12/2027
Summary: This project investigates how variation in hippocampal gene expression, found to be causal to resilience in rodent studies, influences resilience to adversity and protects against depression and anxiety in youth using expression-based polygenic scores (ePGS) in the ABCD Study.
Do genetic profiles that promote resilience to stress protect against risk for adolescent suicidality after early adversity exposure?
Grant: Columbia Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Depression Saks Avenue Transformational Depression Research Award
Role: Principal Investigator
Period: 09/2025 – 08/2026
Summary: Using key hippocampal genetic pathways that lead to resilience in mice exposed to stress, this project determines whether similar genetic pathways in human adolescents can increase resilience to adversity and thereby mitigate the likelihood that youth will develop suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
Frontal-limbic abnormalities and early life stress in susceptibility and resilience to suicide
Grant: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Young Investigator Grant (YIG-R-001-19)
Role: Principal Investigator
Period: 04/2021 – 06/2023
Summary: This grant examined neurobiological and environmental risk factors and their interplay to identify which at-risk offspring develop suicidal attempts and ideation versus who remains resilient, focusing on frontal-limbic markers and early life adversity.
Selected Publications
Zanni, G.*, van Dijk, M.T.*, Caffrey Cagliostro, M., Stevens, G.S., Pini, N., Rose, A.L., Kesin, A.L., Lugo-Candelas, C., Dib Goncalves, P., MacKay, A.S., Kulkarni, P., Ferris, C.F., Weissman, M.M., Talati, A., Ansorge, M.S., Gingrich, J.A. (2025). Perinatal SSRI Exposure Impacts Innate Fear Circuit Activation and Behavior in Mice and Humans. Nature Communications.
*These authors share first authorship.
van Dijk, M.T., Talati, A., Barrios, P.G., Crandall, A.J., & Lugo-Candelas, C. (2024). Prenatal depression outcomes in the next generation: A critical review of recent DOHaD studies and recommendations for future research. Seminars in Perinatology, 48(6), 151948.
van Dijk, M.T.*, Talati, A.*, Kashyap, P., Desai, K., Kelsall, N., Gameroff, M.J., Aw, N., Abraham, E., Anacker, C., Cullen, B., Cha, J., Weissman, M.M., Posner, J. (2023). Dentate Gyrus Microstructure is Associated with Resilience after Exposure to Maternal Stress Across Two Human Cohorts. Biological Psychiatry, 94(6), 454–463.
*These authors share first authorship.
van Dijk, M.T.*, Murphy, E.*, Posner, J.E., Talati, A., Weissman, M.M. (2021). Psychiatric Disorders in Grandchildren with Two Previous Generations Affected: A Replication in Big Data. JAMA Psychiatry, 78(7), 778–787. PMC8060885
*These authors share first authorship.
van Dijk, M.T. & Fenton, A.A. (2018). On how the dentate gyrus contributes to memory discrimination. Neuron, 98, 832–845. PMC6066591
*These authors share first authorship.
van Dijk, M.T., Talati, A., Barrios, P.G., Crandall, A.J., & Lugo-Candelas, C. (2024). Prenatal depression outcomes in the next generation: A critical review of recent DOHaD studies and recommendations for future research. Seminars in Perinatology, 48(6), 151948.
van Dijk, M.T.*, Talati, A.*, Kashyap, P., Desai, K., Kelsall, N., Gameroff, M.J., Aw, N., Abraham, E., Anacker, C., Cullen, B., Cha, J., Weissman, M.M., Posner, J. (2023). Dentate Gyrus Microstructure is Associated with Resilience after Exposure to Maternal Stress Across Two Human Cohorts. Biological Psychiatry, 94(6), 454–463.
*These authors share first authorship.
van Dijk, M.T.*, Murphy, E.*, Posner, J.E., Talati, A., Weissman, M.M. (2021). Psychiatric Disorders in Grandchildren with Two Previous Generations Affected: A Replication in Big Data. JAMA Psychiatry, 78(7), 778–787. PMC8060885
*These authors share first authorship.
van Dijk, M.T. & Fenton, A.A. (2018). On how the dentate gyrus contributes to memory discrimination. Neuron, 98, 832–845. PMC6066591
For a complete list of publications, please visit PubMed.gov