Mental Health Clinical Research

Location:

The Bronx, NY

Posted:

November 04, 2020

Contact this candidate

Resume:

November *th, ****

Kirwan Walsh

**** **** *****, *** **

Bronx, NY 10467

718-***-****

adhjv6@r.postjobfree.com

To whom it may concern:

I am writing to apply for the position Clinical Research Assistant I, in the Division of Infectious Disease at Mount Sinai. Currently, I am a Program Research Technician in the Department of Biobehavioral Sciences within the Denisova Lab we propose that by using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to identify in the brain areas that are associated with the Autism, Brain development and attention in young infants and adults.

As a Program Research Technician in the Denisova Lab I used Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to look at the neurobehavioral effects of neonatal exposure to anesthesia. Using MRI, the morphological features of the cortical surfaces were mapped in 37 healthy infants, 13 unexposed and 24 exposed to regional anesthesia during delivery. Our results concluded that infants exposed to maternal anesthesia compared to unexposed infants had increased cerebral surface in portions of the frontal and occipital lobes bilaterally and the right posterior portion of the cingulate gyrus as well as reduced volume in areas of the thalamus and putamen of the basal ganglia bilaterally. Whether these morphological effects of anesthesia persist, in the neurobehavioral networking in infants as they progress throughout life; longitudinal studies are needed to examine such hypothesizes.

Secondly, we evaluated groups of juvenile probationers from the MTA sample (n=82) and without (n=44) childhood ADHD using various neurocognitive batteries and functional MRI. When compared to normal controls, patients diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and patients diagnosed with SUD’s (Substance Use Disorder) demonstrate similar patterns of deficits in neuropsychological performance as well as similar differences from normals in brain structure and function. These similarities raise the possibility that these deficits may underlie the increased risk for SUDs (in particular, marijuana) in those with ADHD. The multi-site MTA study sample provides this opportunity since it involves a large sample of 579 children with ADHD initially recruited at the age of 7-9 years and followed until early adulthood (ages 21-25). The MTA study also included a classmate comparison group, termed the Local Normal Comparison Group (LNCG; n=288) matched for age and sex.

Previously, I worked as a Research Assistant at the NYSPI Division of Experimental Therapeutics, where I recruited and administered Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to participants. For multiple DARPA funded nonclinical studies I configured registration parameters, cognitive tests, and raw data statistical analyses. In one study, we investigated the extent to which TMS improved working memory performance in sleep-deprived individuals. Preliminary analyses support our hypothesis that stimulation of the superior and inferior occipital and parietal cortices reduces reaction times in a delayed match-to-sample task.

Lastly, I worked as a volunteer in a program sponsored by God’s Love We Deliver with families and couples infected with HIV/AIDS. Through the program we provided various opportunities to those families ranging from delivering cooked foods to their homes daily and places for support groups.

In summary, I believe my experience with psychiatry research in terms of methods, manuscript preparation, and direct contact with patients and healthy control participants, has provided me with a strong research background. Please do not hesitate to contact me if any additional information is required. Thank you and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Sincerely,

Kirwan Walsh

EDUCATION

Mercy College, New York, NY,

Bachelor of Science, Major: Biology, Minor: English

NIMH COR Scholar, January 2008

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Research Assistant, May 2006 – June 2007

Mercy College, Bronx, NY

Colony husbandry

Behavioral testing gerbil (stress paradigms, operant tasks)

Data-Sheets & chemical inventory

Clean, maintain and store lab equipment; perform quality control measures

Monitor the activity of animals while in a controlled environment

Manage day-to-day research activities

NIMH Career Opportunities in Research (COR) Scholar, June 2006 – June 2010

New York State Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, Division of Brain Stimulation & Therapeutics Modulation, New York, NY

Assists in the preparation for monitoring visits

IRB protocols (continuations and amendments)

Assist with hospital admissions and discharges

Data entry and management

Administration of neuropsychological tests and symptom rating scales

Biospecimen collection and processing (blood)

Provide help to high-need individuals with serious mental illness who frequently disengage from care

Answer telephones, tracks messages, and greet visitors

Assist in the management of the day-to-day running of the office

Administer Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to participants in multi-site DARPA-funded studies investigating working memory

Handle travel arrangements on behalf of the head of the division

Perform urine drug screens, vital signs and EKGs

Pick up & Drop off participants laboratory sample analysis & results

Process petty cash payments

Obtain consent for study participation & helping the participant’s families

Schedule physical examination for new out/in patients

Collect & properly store patients & participants charts

Participating in ongoing training and supervision

Perform neuropsychological testing with new participants and depressed geriatric population

Data acquisition & database entry

Clinical monitoring & enrollment

Administering rating scales for depression and anxiety

Interact with participants on the inpatient unit and in the outpatient research clinic

Ensure that research protocols are approved by Institutional Review Board

Program Research Technician, June 2008 – Present

New York State Psychiatric Institute, Denisova Lab, Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, New York, NY

Responsible for scheduling staff and ensuring timeliness of work

Interface with participating sites, coordinating and scheduling of project activities

Assist in the transportation of patients on the in-patient unit

Management, integration and cleaning of large datasets

Executing requisitions for lab supplies and inventory tracking

Biospecimen collection and processing (blood)

Assist with preparation of presentations for PI and project leadership for scientific conferences and meetings and manuscripts for publication

Support the implementation of a portfolio of initiatives designed to enhance identification and treatment of individuals with opioid use disorder within the public mental health system

Database management, record detailed data in lab notebook & spreadsheets

Schedule meetings and conference calls for staff

Scan study participants noted with a wide range of psychiatric and medical disorders (Clinical Research, Clinical trials, depression, suicidal behavior, anxiety, Cannabis, bulimia, PTSD), environmental and psychosocial exposures (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, maternal-prenatal anxiety, depression, use of SSRIs and drugs of abuse), and psychosocial experiences (recently released incarcerated population, gender identity, low income families, Child mental health, children who were exposed to crack in utero) across the lifespan (infants through adulthood, Preclinical studies assessing the effect of trauma)

Maintain close communication with protocol teams

Act as point person for study sites regarding the daily operations of the study protocol

Manage multiple datasets from ongoing and completed projects

Collaborate with Principal Investigators on various data collection

Planned and organized new facilities and capabilities for component functional testing

Serve as a liaison between multiple study sites and project teams

Assist with design and implementation of tools and methods to improve accuracy and efficiency of data capture for evaluation activities

Organize and participate in meetings of the research team

Used to working independently and in a team environment, being flexible and adapting in a changing environment

Collaborate on communications plans for individual and shared research projects

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Neuro-Anatomy Instructor, August 2014 – October 2016

Columbia University, Medical School Campus, New York, NY

Work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team

Set-up work stations for students to view multiple slices & structures of post mortal human brains

Provide 150 students with the necessary understanding, function and purpose of human brain

Mathematics Instructor, August 2017 – Present

Lehman College, Mathematics Department Bronx, NY

Familiarity with issues related to access in success in STEM fields, particularly for underrepresented students.

Utilizing data from education activities and investigational research

Interacting with students via virtual classroom & within classroom

Manage databases

Project Manager to the PTS3 Grant, August 2017 – Present

Lehman College, Math & Computer Science Learning Centre, Bronx, NY

Provide insight through analytics to inform decision making

Develop & deliver PowerPoint presentations to professional audience

Participate in meetings concerning contract portfolio

Assist Managers with periodic report generation and review

Work closely with the Director of the Math & Computer Science Learning Centre

Development of materials for consumers relating to the project

Supervises interns / volunteers as assigned

Organizing and coordinating community outreach programs as needed

Propose evaluation tools and methods for current and future initiatives with high volume data management and analysis needs

Create and maintain comprehensive project documentation, plans, and reports, including monthly/quarterly/annual project deliverables

Conduct a vendor responsibility determination; analyze and address any adverse information found from the vendor background check

Assisting in the hiring and termination process of employees

Working with HR, Academic Affairs and Immigration Affairs when requesting academic and professional appointments

Working with grants management offices in the PTS3 Office to ensure review of all application materials and timely submission of all documents

OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE

Volunteer, September 2006-September 2007

God’s Love We Deliverer, Bronx NY

Engage communities underrepresented in HIV clinical research

Deliver hot meals to less fortunate individuals affected with HIV/AIDS

Provide individuals with the option to choose their lunch meals

Have comforting conversation with HIV/AIDS individuals

Math Anxiety Researcher, June 2015 – January 2016

Lehman College, Mathematics & Computer Science Department, Bronx, NY

Converse with the Director of the Mathematics & Computer Science Learning Center on possible areas of putting up postings for students within the center

Literature in research reviews

Discuss workable paradigms with the counseling center to decrease math anxiety among students

Develop various learning theories to help students from multiple backgrounds

Brainstorm on ways to have mathematics instructors inform their students about math anxiety within the first few classes of the semester

Represent the office at intra-departmental meetings & projects

Review submitted documents for completion

Identify challenges and solutions

HONORS

2006 – 2008: National Research Service Award from the National Institute of Mental Health

2007 – 2008: College Scholar Award for Outstanding Thesis, Mercy College Honors Department

2006: Certificate of Achievement Dean’s List Award

2007 – 2008: College Opportunities Program’s Spirit Award

2006 – 2007: God’s Love We Deliver

SKILLS

Webinar, Base Camp, Dropbox, Zoom, Cisco WebEx

Operating Systems: Windows, MacOS, Unix

Software: Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Prism, LMS technology experience, Brainsight, BrainSuite, BioImage Suite, MRIcro, TMS navigation software (Rogue Research, Inc.), Analyze, 3D Slicer, Freesurfer, REDCap, EKG, Oracle

Programming Languages: Python & Django, E-prime Scripts, PHP, HTML/XHTML, CSS, JavaScript

Certified Phlebotomist, Strong analytical and communication skills, Experience working in a research environment

PUBLISHED ARTICLES

Guihu Zhao, Kirwan Walsh, Jun Long, Weihua Gui, Kristina Denisova (2018) Reduced structural complexity of the right cerebellar cortex in male children with autism spectrum disorder. PLoS One 13 (7)

Spann, MN, Serino, D, Bansal, R, Hao, X, Nati, G, Toth, Z, Walsh, K, Chiang, I, Sanchez-Peña, J, Liu, J, Kangarlu, A, Liu, F, Duan, Y, Shova, S, Fried, J, Tau, GZ, Rosen, TS, & Peterson, BS. (2015) Morphological features of the neonatal brain following exposure to regional anesthesia during labor and delivery. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 33 (2): 213-221.

Peterson BS, Rauh VA, Bansal R, Hao X, Toth Z, Nati G, Walsh K, Miller RL, Arias F, Semanek D, Perera F. (2015) Effects of prenatal exposure to air pollutants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) on the development of brain white matter, cognition, and behavior in later childhood. JAMA Psychiatry, 72 (6): 531-40.

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Organization for Human Brain Mapping, Geneva, Switzerland June 2016, An fMRI Study of Participants with Dysthymia and Normal Controls Using Emotion-Denoting Words Task Jie Yang, Zhishun Wang, David Hellerstein, Kirwan Walsh, Columbia University, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Psychiatry, New York, NY.

National Institute of Mental Health (COR), Washington, D.C. November 2006, Where would TMS improve working memory in sleep deprived individuals? Kirwan Walsh, Division of Natural Sciences and Veterinary Technology, Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY. Brain stimulation and Neuromodulation Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute at Columbia University, New York, NY.

National Institute of Mental Health (COR), Atlanta, Georgia November 2005, Assessing beliefs, attitudes and behaviors about tobacco smoking for a diverse sample of undergraduates. Kirwan Walsh, Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry and Bronx, NY.

Professional references:

Name: Professor Loric Madramootoo

Title: Math and Computer Science Learning Center Director