Integrated Brain Health Clinical and Research Program

About the Program and Our Mission

The mission of the Integrated Brain Health Clinical and Research Program (IBHCRP) at Massachusetts General Hospital is to advance clinical and research practice through development and testing of cutting-edge skills interventions with three main goals:

• Preserving brain health and preventing chronic illness through lifestyle changes (including adaptive thinking, mindfulness and meditation, healthy eating, exercise, social networks and spirituality)
• Optimizing management of chronic illness as it relates to brain health
• Promoting recovery after injury or surgery

The IBHCRP carries out this mission through clinical care and research in direct partnership with patients. In addition, the IBHCRP provides integrated, multidisciplinary training for postdoctoral fellows, predoctoral clinical psychology interns, undergraduate interns and medical residents.

The IBHCRP also partners with primary and specialty care doctors, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, social workers, psychologists and genetic counselors to facilitate integrated, patient-centered care that suits the needs of each individual patient.

Who We Serve

The IBHCRP provides clinical services to patients and their family caregivers. We also offer many opportunities for care through our ongoing clinical research programs. IBHCRP serves individuals anywhere on the spectrum of health to illness, including:

• Healthy individuals interested in preserving their health (e.g., primary care patients or caregivers)
• Individuals recovering from injury or surgery (e.g., general surgery, brain injury, orthopedic trauma, stroke and other cardiovascular events)
• Individuals facing chronic medical conditions (e.g., chronic pain, deafness, tinnitus, neurofibromatosis and tumor suppressor conditions; dementias and other memory related problems) and their family, friends and caregivers

Why Focus on Brain Health?

The brain is the most malleable organ of the body. It is the hub of emotions, behaviors, cognition, socialization and spirituality. The brain influences the development and progression of illness and determines how we cope with stress, injury or illness and defines quality of life and well-being. In turn, illness, coping styles, quality of life and well-being influence the brain.

Brain health encompasses all possible relationships between our minds, bodies, behaviors and environment.

Collaborations with Other Programs

The IBHCRP collaborates closely with a variety of programs within the Department of Psychiatry and across Mass General to provide timely clinical care.

Our collaborators include:

• Henry and Allison McCance Center for Brain Health
• Benson-Henry Institute of Mind Body Medicine
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program
• Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
• Division of Psychiatry & Medicine
• Mass Eye and Ear
• Neurofibromatosis Clinic
• Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit
• Pain Management Center
• Home Base Program
• Frontotemporal Disorders Unit
• Dementia Care Collaborative
• Behavioral Medicine
• Spaulding Rehabilitation Center
• Mass General Neuroscience
• Memory Disorders Unit

Our Research

The Integrated Brain Health Clinical and Research Program (IBHCRP) at Mass General conducts clinical research consistent with our mission of optimizing health and well-being through brain health. Our research is funded by federal and foundation grants and through the generosity of donors who wish to advance brain health science and clinical care.

For information about our active studies, please visit our website.

Professional Training

The Integrated Brain Health Clinical and Research Program prioritizes training of clinical psychology interns, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty across disciplines. Each year, we offer 1-2 clinical psychology internship positions and 1-2 postdoctoral fellowship positions. The number of these position depends on current funding. Please contact Dr. Ana-Maria Vranceanu for more information at avranceanu@mgh.harvard.edu.

Our Team

Our staff is dedicated to helping patients both through direct clinical service and through conducting research to find new ways to improve care.

Ana-Maria Vranceanu, PhD- Founding director of IBHCRP 

• Jonathan Greenberg, PhD – Postdoctoral Fellow
• Jafar Bakhshaie, MD, PhD – Postdoctoral Fellow
• Ethan Lester, PhD – Postdoctoral Fellow
• Ryan Mace, PhD – Postdoctoral Fellow
• Sarah Bannon, PhD – Postdoctoral Fellow
• Jim Doorley, MA – Clinical Fellow in Psychiatry
• Victoria Grunberg, MS – Clinical Fellow in Psychiatry
• Eric Ricklin, MS – Advanced Practicum Student
• Tanya Singh, MS – Advanced Practicum Student
• Sarah Hopkins, MS – Advanced Practicum Student
• Paula Popok, BA – Clinical Research Coordinator
• Mira Reichman, BA – Clinical Research Coordinator
• Tessa Hamermesh, BA – Clinical Research Coordinator

Research Interns

• Simrit Uppal
• Katey Yang
• Jules Wagner
• Alejandro Baltazar Baez De Luna
• Tess Del Prado

Supervisors

• Audrey Tolman, PhD
• Jennifer Burbridge, PhD
• Jamie Jacobs, PhD
• Lara Traeger, PhD
• Rachel Millstein, PhD
• Melinda I. Morrill, PhD
• Rachel Ishikawa, PhD
• Carrie Potter, PhD
• Anne Fishel, PhD

Grant Admins

• Alesandra Giuggio – Pre-award Grants Administrator
• Kathleen Higgins – Post-award Grants Administrator

View our team page

Support Our Mission

The mission of the Integrated Brain Health Clinical and Research Program is to advance clinical and research practice by developing and testing cutting-edge skills interventions. We work toward reaching our goals of preserving brain health and preventing chronic illness while also optimizing management of chronic illness and promoting recovery after injury or surgery as it relates to brain health.

We work to improve the lives of patients through our research and clinical care.

How Can You Support Our Mission

Your charitable donations can help us reach these goals. We appreciate donations of any size. These contributions help us reach our mission to improve the lives of our patients through cutting edge research and clinical care.

Give now