Marsh Lab

Our Team

Faculty

  • Rachel Marsh, PhD

    • Director of MRI Research
    • New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY

    Dr. Marsh is the Irving Philips Professor of Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry) at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) where she directs the CDNL. She is also a Research Scientist VII and directs Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) research at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. She co-directed the NIMH-funded T32 postdoctoral training program in translational research in child psychiatry at Columbia University for a decade and is committed to launching the careers of scientists in academic medicine. Dr. Marsh is the recipient of multiple grants from the NIMH and has authored over 90 peer-reviewed publications. The overarching goal of her research is to investigate brain-behavior relationships in normal development and in the development of psychiatric disorders that arise during childhood. Utilizing multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, behavioral, and clinical measures, her lab studies self-regulatory control processes and how they change over development and following the remission of symptoms with exposure response prevention (ERP) therapy in children and adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Her findings of functional and structural alterations in control circuits that predict response to ERP in pediatric OCD paved the way for a current clinical trial (R61) that leverages a child-friendly, computerized, at-home cognitive training program in children with OCD to enhance the capacity for cognitive control (target engagement) and augment EPR response. One of Dr. Marsh’s long-term goals is to use such tractable interventions for the prevention of OCD and anxiety disorders in young children. Most recently, Dr. Marsh’ research  has taken a dyadic approach to understanding child development with one NIMH funded study aimed at studying the intergenerational transmission of regulatory deficits from mother to child (R01MH117983) and another aimed at understanding the effects of prenatal SARS-CoV-2 on brain-behavioral indices of socioemotional functioning in mother-infant dyads (R01MH126531). This dyadic approach has facilitated opportunities to identify risk markers for the intergenerational transmission of psychopathology.

  • David Pagliaccio, PhD

    • Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurobiology (in Psychiatry)

    Dr. David Pagliaccio is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. He received his PhD in neuroscience from Washington University in St. Louis and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health. Dr. Pagliaccio takes a multi-modal approach to understanding affective psychopathology in youth, with a particular focus on brain imaging, smartphone assessments, and complex data analytics. His works has been funded by the NIMH, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and others to study depression, suicide risk, and obsessive-compulsive disorder in youth. He collaborates with researchers across Columbia and other institutions to better brain circuitry and functioning relating to depression, anxiety, and other pediatric pathologies. Dr. Pagliaccio is further devoted to mentorship and service in STEM and aims to support the LGBTQIA+ community in science.

    Dr. David Pagliaccio

Staff

  • Bustos, Nico, BS (He, Him)

    • Data Analyst

    Nicholas Bustos received his B.S. degree at Baylor University in Biology with specialization in bioinformatics. His expertise lies in multimodal neuroimaging and computational neuroscience with a focus on fMRI and DTI. He is interested in understanding reward learning and cognition in humans to develop useful biomarkers and precision medicine in translational psychiatry. He is currently working on various collaborative projects involving pediatric psychiatric disorders.

  • Caldera, Marissa, BA (She, Her)

    • Clinical Research Coordinator

    Marissa is a Co-Clinical Research Coordinator on the Pediatric OCD Akili study with Dr.'s Rachel Marsh, Kate Fitzgerald and David Pagliaccio.

    Marissa received her B.A. in Psychology from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and completed post-baccalaureate training at Columbia University. She is currently a Master of Health Administration candidate at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Her work centers on the intersection of mental health and health systems, with a developing focus on OCD, depression and their comorbidities, particularly as they relate to suicide risk. She is interested in how administrative and policy frameworks influence the practice of mental health care and is motivated to advance integrated and equitable treatment models.

  • Castillo, Monica Feliz R., MD, MS

    • Schaffer Fellow

    Monica Feliz R. Castillo, M.D. M.S., is currently a Clinical and Research Fellow in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the NIMH R25-funded Shaffer Scholars Research Program at Columbia University/ Cornell University/ New York Presbyterian Hospitals. She received her Bachelor of Science with Honors in Biology from Stanford University in 2014 and Doctor of Medicine with Research Honors with Distinction from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine in 2020. Monica then completed the NIMH R25-funded Research Residency Track in Psychiatry at the University of California San Diego in 2024. Her research focuses have primarily been in the field of psychoneuroimmunology, having previously done work studying peripheral inflammatory biomarkers in affective disorders in treatment-resistant depression in adults and at-risk with HIV transitional age youth. She is currently working on studying neonatal brain imaging as a biomarker for psychopathology in the COVID-19 Mother Baby Outcomes Study (COMBO). She hopes to have a career in academic child and adolescent psychiatry combining work in research, patient care, medical education, and mentorship.

    Current Projects: neonatal brain imaging as a biomarker for psychopathology in the COVID-19 Mother Baby Outcomes Study (COMBO)

  • Diaz, Dana (She, Her)

    • Postdoctoral Research Fellow

    Dana Diaz is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University. Dana’s research uses MRI to study the neural mechanisms underlying biases in cognitive control and emotion processing in pediatric anxiety disorders and OCD. Specifically, she aims to characterize individual differences in brain function across the clinical-to-subclinical spectrum to identify risk and inform personalized interventions.

    Current Projects: OCS, Akili.

  • Dimitropoulou, Katherine, PhD (She, Her)

    • Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation & Regenerative Medicine

  • DiMatteo, Simone

    • Clinical Research Coordinator

    Simone is a Co-Clinical Research Coordinator on the Pediatric OCD Akili study with Dr.'s Rachel Marsh, Kate Fitzgerald and David Pagliaccio. Simone earned her B.S. in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego. Her research experience spans large-scale neurodevelopmental studies, including the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, and youth participatory action research focused on equity in education systems. Her interests center on child development, clinical work and treatment response, neuroimaging, and research practices that promote accessibility and inclusion.

    Current Projects: Using Stop Signal Task (SST) data from Dr. Kate Fitzgerald and Rachel Marsh's OCS Study. Looking at SST data inhibitory control measures in relation to CBT response in Pediatric OCD.

  • Dimitriu, Nikita

    • Volunteer

  • Durham, Katherine, PhD (She, Her)

    • Clinical Psychologist

    Katherine Durham, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist known for her work at the intersection of clinical practice, research, and applied mental health innovation. Her scholarship has focused on areas such as emotional regulation, resilience, and evidence-based therapeutic approaches, with an emphasis on making psychological insights accessible beyond academic settings. In publications, Dr. Durham has explored contemporary challenges in mental health—including the impact of digital environments—while continuing to contribute to peer-reviewed journals and professional forums. Her work reflects a commitment to bridging rigorous research with practical tools that support the well-being and mental health outcomes of children and adolescents. In the CDNL lab, Dr. Durham is currently the lead clinician on a study investigating the use of an app-based cognitive training intervention to facilitate exposure and response prevention for pediatric OCD.

  • He, Xiaofu, PhD (He, Him)

    • Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurobiology

    Dr. Xiaofu He is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurobiology in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) and the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI). To advance mental health research, he applies his interdisciplinary background in computer science, machine learning, multimodal neuroimaging, and neurobiology. His research centers on creating and utilizing diverse brain imaging techniques and AI/Deep Learning approaches to support improved psychiatric disorder diagnostics and treatment. His research encompasses four major areas: 1) Advancing Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) preprocessing and automated quality control methods; 2) Identifying brain biomarkers using neuroimaging for mental disorders; 3) Developing AI/deep learning approaches for psychiatric diagnosis and personalized interventions; and 4) Investigating real-time fMRI and EEG neurofeedback as psychiatric treatment methods. All of his research is focused on improving psychiatric outcomes.

    Current Projects: Real-time fMRI neurofeedback and DTI related projects such as COMBO.

  • Lopez, Sophia

    • Volunteer

    Sophia Lopez is a senior at Barnard College, pursuing a B.A. in Neuroscience and Behavior with a minor in History (Class of 2026). During her time at Barnard, Sophia interned at the Columbia Magnetic Resonance Research Center, where she developed a technical guide for MR systems for labs at the Zuckerman Institute. To further her research training, she joined the Cognitive Development Lab as a Volunteer Research Assistant for the Cognitive Control Targets for the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Young Children Study (Akili-OCD). Sophia is deeply interested in adolescent brain development, particularly how neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders impact maturation. Following graduation, she intends to pursue a graduate degree in clinical psychology.

  • More, Diana, BA (She, Her)

    • Research Coordinator

    Diana is a research coordinator for the COVID-19 Mother-Baby Outcomes (COMBO) Study, where she supports analysis focused on early developmental trajectories. She also contributes to the Akili-OCD Study, collecting neuroimaging data from young children diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Diana graduated from New York University with a degree in Psychology, where she developed a strong interest in clinical research and developmental science. Her work has provided her with extensive experience engaging with diverse and underserved populations, shaping her commitment to culturally responsive research. Diana’s interests center on intergenerational trauma and the impact of early adversity on mental health. She plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology, where she hopes to integrate neuroimaging methods with developing community-based interventions that improve access to care.

  • Perez-Dominguez, Janeth

    • Clinical Coordinator

  • Proa Dalle Lucca, Renata

    • PhD Student, Neurobiology & Behavior Program, Columbia University

  • Reznik, Tracey, BA (She, Her)

    • MD-PhD Student

    Tracey is a postdoctoral fellow. She completed her PhD with Dr. Marsh and Dr. Blair Simpson and her MD at Columbia University. Her work focuses on applying machine learning to parse multivariate, whole-brain associations between resting state MRI features and psychiatric symptoms or cognitive behaviors.

    Current Projects: Whole-brain resting state functional connectivity signatures of pediatric obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

  • Smotrich, Grace, BA (She, Her)

    • Research Coordinator

    Grace is currently working as a research coordinator for the neuroimaging portion of the COVID-19 Mother-Baby Outcomes (COMBO) Study. She graduated magna cum laude from Barnard College in May 2023 with a degree in Neuroscience and Behavior, with honors. Grace began working with the COMBO study in 2021 and, shortly after, with Dr. Marsh’s lab where she assisted with mother-infant MRI scans. In 2022, she joined CDNL as a volunteer and went on to complete a year-long neuroscience senior thesis project under the mentorship of Dr. Marsh. Grace will begin medical school in the summer with aspirations of becoming a pediatric neurologist, a path confirmed by years of working closely with the COMBO study participants. With a deep appreciation for research, she hopes to continue working on pediatric neuroscience projects throughout her medical training and into her future career as a physician.

    Current Projects: COMBO MRI Covid x infant brain metrics (including chart review project to obtain all maternal prenatal covid statuses), COMBO MRI infant qc.

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