Amy Herrold, PhD
Dr. Herrold received her Ph.D. in neuroscience from Loyola University Chicago in 2010. Her graduate work focused on the glutamate neurotransmitter system and its involvement with methamphetamine addiction and schizophrenia in rodent models of these co-morbid disorders. She was also a member of the Center for Compulsive Behavior and Addiction (CCBA) directed by her advisor T. Celeste Napier, Ph.D. Through the Division of Addiction Recovery and Mental Health of the CCBA, Dr. Herrold gained an interest in clinical issues and treatment interventions such as transcranial magnetic stimulation in the field of mental health.
Dr. Herrold is parlaying her interests in substance abuse and other mental health issues to the field of traumatic brain injury (TBI). As such she worked with Dr. Theresa Pape as her primary mentor in her post-doctoral fellowship. She developed a project assessing patient outcomes related to alcohol use and alcohol craving in the Veteran TBI and PTSD patient population. She is very enthusiastic about participating in a collaborative research environment that encompasses many scientific disciplines.
Dr. Herrold has presented her work at multiple national and international scientific meetings. She has also published her work in peer-reviewed scientific journals, with other manuscripts and a book chapter in the review and preparation stages. She will use this experience in HSR&D research to continue her career path in translational research in mental health.
Dr. Herrold was recently awarded the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) Switzer Merit Fellowship Award. This is a peer reviewed competitive award and was established to provide support to qualified individuals to engage in scientific research relating to the rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities. The Merit Fellowships are awarded to individuals who are in earlier stages of their research career, (less than seven years' experience), with advanced professional training or research experience in independent studies directly related to disability and rehabilitation. The Fellowship covers a 12-month period, and provides a stipend for research-related expenses. Awards are made to individuals only and require a full-time commitment. The purpose of Dr. Herrold’s NIDRR Switzer Award is to examine repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation as a treatment for alcohol use disorder among people with co-occurring mild traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and alcohol use disorder. Dr. Pape and Dr. Neil Jordan of CINCCH are mentors on this NIDRR fellowship award.
Dr. Herrold is also a recent VA RR&D Career Development Level-II Awardee. This 5-year award will characterize alcohol craving among Veterans with co-occurring alcohol use disorder, mild TBI and PTSD relative to those with alcohol use disorder alone. This behavioral and neurophysiological characterization will lead to the development and testing of transcranial magnetic stimulation as a treatment for co-occurring alcohol use disorder, mild TBI and PTSD.
