About

Jennifer L. Barredo is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior (Research) at Brown University, with a background that includes a BS in Psychology from the University of Washington and a PhD in Neuroscience from Brown University. Her research focuses on using neuroimaging and machine learning approaches to investigate structural and functional brain signatures associated with mental health disorders and suicidal ideation and behavior. She aims to identify biological signatures of vulnerability and resilience that can be leveraged to reduce suicidality, improve risk assessment, and optimize mental health interventions. Dr. Barredo is particularly interested in understanding how interactions between trait and state factors influence trajectories of suicide risk and in integrating deep phenotyping technology with neuroimaging techniques. She directs the Clinical Neuroimaging Research Core within the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and collaborates with investigators on using neuroimaging to predict responses to neuromodulation treatments for conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Her work has been supported by various awards, including a VA Career Development Award and a Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator Grant, reflecting her contributions to advancing neuropsychiatric research and suicide prevention.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Emergency medicine
• Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Clinical psychology

Selected publications

• Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Neuromodulation in Psychiatric Disorders: Mechanisms, Models, and Missing Links

  Biological Psychiatry · 2026-03-01

  articleOpen access

  Low-intensity focused ultrasound (FUS) is emerging as a promising noninvasive neuromodulation technique with the potential to deliver reversible and focal deep brain stimulation. FUS's high spatial precision and noninvasiveness set it apart from current brain stimulation technologies such as transcranial magnetic, transcranial electrical, and deep brain stimulation. Among noninvasive neuromodulatory techniques, it has the unique ability to target deep brain structures implicated in psychiatric illness. Recent studies have demonstrated its potential to improve symptoms across a broad range of psychiatric disorders, including major depressive, generalized anxiety, and substance use disorders. In this article, we review the mechanisms of FUS across molecular, synaptic, and network levels, drawing on preclinical and early clinical evidence. While preliminary findings support the safety of FUS, further research is required to characterize mechanisms, optimize sonication parameters, and establish its possible acute and longer-term efficacy as a neurocircuit-based treatment. Technical challenges remain, including precise localization of the ultrasound beam and the need for validated imaging approaches to confirm target engagement. Importantly, growing evidence suggests that FUS can induce physiological effects such as altered perfusion and changes in excitability that appear to persist well beyond the period of sonication, underscoring its potential for durable circuit-level modulation. Addressing these opportunities and challenges will be essential for guiding precision clinical trials and unlocking the full therapeutic promise of FUS. If realized, the incorporation of FUS into psychiatric care could transform the landscape of neuromodulation and clinical therapeutics.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• 455. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Virtual Reality for PTSD Modulates Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex-Basolateral Amygdala Functional Connectivity

  Biological Psychiatry · 2025-04-09 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• An Exploratory Analysis of Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Traits, Pathologic Anger and Quality of Life Among Trauma-Exposed Veterans

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2025-01-01

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• An exploratory analysis of obsessive-compulsive personality traits, pathologic anger and quality of life among trauma-exposed veterans

  Comprehensive Psychiatry · 2025-08-21

  articleOpen access

  INTRODUCTION: Trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are associated with high rates of co-occurring personality pathology, including Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD). OCPD is characterized by rigidity and perfectionism, leading to internalized distress, interpersonal difficulties, and lower quality of life (QOL). Individuals with OCPD often report high levels of anger, which may exacerbate distress and interpersonal issues. However, the relationship between OCPD, anger, and QOL in trauma-exposed Veterans remains understudied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 92 Veterans with warzone trauma, hyperarousal symptoms, and moderate to severe problems with anger were recruited from a VA Medical Center for a study on cognitive-behavioral therapy for anger. Assessments included standardized interviews on demographics and trauma history, as well as self-reports on OCPD and borderline personality disorder (BPD) traits, anger, and QOL. RESULTS: OCPD scores were significantly correlated with higher state anger (r = 0.276, p = 0.013), trait anger (r = 0.275, p = 0.016), and lower social QOL (r = -0.344, p = 0.002). BPD scores were similarly associated with higher state (r = 0.242, p = 0.031) and trait anger (r = 0.291, p = 0.011), but had lower QOL in all domains. CONCLUSION: In this exploratory analysis, OCPD traits in trauma-exposed Veterans were linked to higher anger and lower social QOL, with effect sizes comparable to BPD traits. This highlights the importance of screening for OCPD traits to inform treatment strategies and improve outcomes, especially given that OCPD traits receive less clinical attention than BPD traits.

  PublisherDOI

• Cortical glutamate, Glx, and total N-acetylaspartate: potential biomarkers of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment response and outcomes in major depression

  Translational Psychiatry · 2024-01-06 · 17 citations

  articleOpen access

  Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an effective treatment for individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) who have not improved with standard therapies. However, only 30-45% of patients respond to rTMS. Predicting response to rTMS will benefit both patients and providers in terms of prescribing and targeting treatment for maximum efficacy and directing resources, as individuals with lower likelihood of response could be redirected to more suitable treatment alternatives. In this exploratory study, our goal was to use proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy to examine how glutamate (Glu), Glx, and total N-acetylaspartate (tNAA) predict post-rTMS changes in overall MDD severity and symptoms, and treatment response. Metabolites were measured in a right dorsal anterior cingulate cortex voxel prior to a standard course of 10 Hz rTMS to the left DLPFC in 25 individuals with MDD. MDD severity and symptoms were evaluated via the Inventory of Depression Symptomatology Self-Report (IDS-SR). rTMS response was defined as ≥50% change in full-scale IDS-SR scores post treatment. Percent change in IDS-SR symptom domains were evaluated using principal component analysis and established subscales. Generalized linear and logistic regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between baseline Glu, Glx, and tNAA and outcomes while controlling for age and sex. Participants with baseline Glu and Glx levels in the lower range had greater percent change in full scale IDS-SR scores post-treatment (p < 0.001), as did tNAA (p = 0.007). Low glutamatergic metabolite levels also predicted greater percent change in mood/cognition symptoms (p ≤ 0.001). Low-range Glu, Glx, and tNAA were associated with greater improvement on the immuno-metabolic subscale (p ≤ 0.003). Baseline Glu predicted rTMS responder status (p = 0.025) and had an area under the receiving operating characteristic curve of 0.81 (p = 0.009), demonstrating excellent discriminative ability. Baseline Glu, Glx, and tNAA significantly predicted MDD improvement after rTMS; preliminary evidence also demonstrates metabolite association with symptom subdomain improvement post-rTMS. This work provides feasibility for a personalized medicine approach to rTMS treatment selection, with individuals with Glu levels in the lower range potentially being the best candidates.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• 183. A Multimodal Investigation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of rTMS: Glutamatergic Metabolism Influences Changes in Functional Connectivity

  Biological Psychiatry · 2024-04-29

  article
  PublisherDOI

• A potential target for noninvasive neuromodulation of PTSD symptoms derived from focal brain lesions in veterans

  Nature Neuroscience · 2024-09-24 · 20 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• A potential neuromodulation target for PTSD in Veteransderived from focal brain lesions

  Research Square · 2024-03-19 · 9 citations

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• 13. Cortical Glutamate: A Potential Biomarker of rTMS Outcomes in MDD

  Biological Psychiatry · 2023-04-10

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Suicidal thoughts and behaviours among military veterans: protocol for a prospective, observational, neuroimaging study

  BMJ Open · 2023-08-01

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  INTRODUCTION: This study's overarching goal is to examine the relationship between brain circuits and suicidal thoughts and behaviours (STBs) in a transdiagnostic sample of US military veterans. Because STBs have been linked with maladaptive decision-making and disorders linked to impulsivity, this investigation focuses on valence and inhibitory control circuits. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: In this prospective, observational study, we will collect functional MRI (fMRI), cognitive and clinical data from 136 veterans (target sample size) recruited from the Providence VA Health System (PVAHS): 68 with STBs and 68 matched controls. Behavioural data will be collected using standardised measures of STBs, psychiatric symptoms, cognition, functioning and medical history. Neuroimaging data will include structural, task and resting fMRI. We will conduct follow-up interviews and assessments at 6, 12 and 24 months post-enrolment. Primary analyses will compare data from veterans with and without STBs and will also evaluate whether activation and connectivity within circuits of valence and inhibition covary with historical and prospective patterns of suicidal ideation and behaviour. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The PVAHS Institutional Review Board approved this study (2018-051). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. Findings from this study will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at local, regional, national and international conferences.Nauder Namaky, Ph.D.* nauder_namaky@brown.edu.

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Recent grants

• Identification of Veterans at-risk for Suicide: a Multidisciplinary Approach

  NIH · 2019–2024

• NIH Grant F31MH090755

  NIH · $84k · 2012

Frequent coauthors

• Noah S. Philip

  Brown University

  214 shared

• Linda L. Carpenter

  Butler Hospital

  143 shared

• Benjamin D. Greenberg

  Providence VA Medical Center

  81 shared

• Mascha van ‘t Wout‐Frank

  Brown University

  58 shared

• Melanie L. Bozzay

  Providence College

  50 shared

• Jennifer M. Primack

  Providence VA Medical Center

  46 shared

• Amanda R. Arulpragasam

  Brown University

  46 shared

• Shan H. Siddiqi

  42 shared

Education

• B.S., Psychology

  University of Washington

  2006

• Ph.D., Neuroscience

  Brown University

  2013

Awards & honors

• NRSA predoctoral award
• VA Career Development Award (CDA-2)
• Brain Behavior Research Foundation (NARSAD) Young Investigat…
• 2010-12 National Research Service Award Predoctoral Fellow
• 2019-23 VA Clinical Science Career Development Awardee