Clinical Research Coordinator (Alumni)

I graduated from Simmons College with a BS in Neuroscience and Behavior. Prior to joining the Loggia Lab, I worked on research looking at the effects of stress on the brain and different factors that moderate the effects of stress in both clinical and preclinical laboratories at McLean Hospital. This experience gave me my first exposure to neuroimaging research and since then I have been enthralled with the use of various neuroimaging techniques to untangle the mystery of the human brain.

My previous experience directly relates to the work we do here at the Loggia Lab: exploring the neuropathology of chronic pain using integrated PET/MR imaging. Early life stress has been associated with numerous deleterious effects on health, including neuroinflammation and an increased likelihood of developing chronic pain. My future plans include graduate school, where I hope to continue using neuroimaging techniques to explore the effects of early life stress on the brain. I would also like to explore the use of neuroimaging modalities to evaluate the effect of expressive and movement based therapies in people who have experienced early life stress, by investigating the effect of these interventions on functional connectivity, cellular activity, and neurotransmitter levels.

Contact

Email: cbergan@mgh.harvard.edu

Phone: 617-643-6748