Research Overview

My primary research interests focus on the investigation of fMRI (resting state) neural markers underlying social-cognitive deficits in a transdiagnostic psychotic population.

Selected Publications

Publications

• Niciu, M. J., Shovestul, B. J., Jaso, B. A., Farmer, C. A., Lukenbaugh, D. A., Brutsche, N. E., Park, L. T., Ballard, E. D., & Zarate Jr., C. A. (2018). Features of dissociation differentially predicts antidepressant response to ketamine in treatment-resistant depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 22, 310-315. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.02.049
• Shovestul, B. J., Glassman, M., Rowland, L. M., McMahon, R. P., Lui, F., Kelly, D. L. 2017). Pilot study examining the relationship of childhood trauma, perceived stress, and medication use to serum kynurenic acid and kynurenine levels in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 185, 200-201. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.12.026

Posters

• Kadrui, B., Shovestul, B. J., Farmer, C. A., Deng, Z. D., Yuan, P., Ballard, E. D., & Zarate Jr., C. A. (April, 2018). Kynurenine Pathway and Mood Disorder: Where does Immunology Meet Psychiatry? Poster presented at Anziety and Depression Association of Americal Annual Conference. Washington, DC.
• Niciu, M. J., Shovestul, B. J., Jaso, B. A., Farmer, C. A., Park, L. T., Ballard, E. D., & Zarate Jr., C. A. (December, 2017). Features of dissociation differentially predicts antidepressant response to ketamine in treatment-resistant depression. Poster presented at American College of Neuropsychoparmacology Conference. Palm Springs, CA.
• Shovestul, B. J., Ballard, E. D., Park, L., Luckenbaugh, D. A., Machado-Viera, R., Vande Voort, J., & Zarate Jr., C. A. (November, 2017). Clinical Symptom Trajectories in the Months Before and After a Suicide Attempt: Investigation from STEP-BD. Poster presented at Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA.
• Shovestul, B. J., Richards, E. R., Dickinson, A. M., Ballard, E. B., Innis, R. B., & Zarate Jr., C. A. (September, 2017). CSF vs. Plasma: Are they Interchangeable? Poster presented at NIMH DIRP Fellows' Scientific Training Day. Leesburg, VA.
• Shovestul, B. J., Jaso, B., Luckenbaugh, D. A., Park, L., Niciu, M. N., & Zarate Jr., C. A. (May, 2017). Associations between Specific Dissociative Symptoms and Symptom Subsets and Anti-Depressant Response to Ketamine. Poster presented at Society of Biological Psychiatry Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA.
• Shovestul, B. J., Kadrui, B., Deng, Z., & Zarate Jr., C. A. (April. 2017). Ketamine Modulates Quinolonic Acid and Kynurenic Acid but not Kynurenine in Bipolar Patients. Poster presented at NINR Symptom Science Research Symposium. Bethesda, MD.
• Shovestul, B. J., Glassman, M., Rowland, L. M., McMahon, R. P., Lui, F., & Kelly, D. L. (March, 2017). Pilot study examining the relationship of childhood trauma, perceived stress, and medication use to serum kynurenic acid and kynurenine levels in schizophrenia. Poster presented at International Congress on Schizophrenia Research Meeting. San Diego, CA.