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Shan Siddiqi, MD

Shan Siddiqi, MD
Sidney R. Baer, Jr. Foundational Fellow in the Clinical Neurosciences

Education History:
MBBS (MD), University of Sydney
BS, Chemistry, University of Missouri

Clinical Training:
Psychiatry Residency, Washington University, St. Louis

Research Interests:
The brain has long remained enigmatic because it has been difficult to study direct cause-effect relationships in such a complex dynamic system. At the microscopic level, the neuroscience community has made major strides with optogenetics, which allows us to study the direct effects of stimulating specific nerves in a living organism. At the large scale, we are just starting to learn how to study causality in brain systems by pairing functional imaging with targeted neuromodulation. This allows us to study the direct effects of stimulating specific brain regions.

My research is focused on developing better methods for individualizing these neuromodulatory treatments based on functional MRI (fMRI) and clinical phenomenology. During residency, I was involved in several projects to investigate predictors of response to brain stimulation based on both clinical factors and computational analysis of brain imaging data. This culminated in a randomized-controlled trial of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) targeted with individualized brain network mapping for depression associated with traumatic brain injury. I also started a group called the Midnight Modulation Club, which studied causal relationships in the brain by stimulating different brain targets and mapping the immediate effects of that stimulation.

Since arriving in Boston, I have been working with Dr. Michael Fox to develop better computational methods for using brain stimulation to explain human behavior. We are working on developing better understandings of human emotional networks via novel approaches to looking at data acquired from functional MRI, TMS, deep brain stimulation, and brain lesions. We hope that this will help us discover new ways to individualize brain stimulation treatments based on patient-specific symptoms and imaging findings.

Clinical Interests:
Brain stimulation (TMS and DBS), traumatic brain injury, focal brain lesions, and other syndromes causing behavioral changes as a result of a discrete causal event.

Personal Interests/Hobbies:
When I'm not doing science, I love to spend my time writing, playing guitar, or playing chess.

Personal Goals:
I came to the Berenson-Allen Center to learn cutting-edge research techniques, refine my skills as a scientist, and remain at the forefront of clinical neuromodulation. I hope to use these skills to start a research group focused on answering unique clinical questions by integrating neuroimaging and neuromodulation data from a variety of sources. This will hopefully be accompanied by a clinic for patients with behavioral changes after focal brain damage, which will allow us to implement novel circuit-based treatment approaches.

Selected Research Publications:

  1. Siddiqi SH, Trapp NT, Hacker CD, Laumann TO, Kandala S, Hong X, Trillo LT, Shahim P, Leuthardt EC, Carter AC, Brody DL. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with Resting State Network Targeting for Treatment-Resistant Depression in Traumatic Brain Injury: a randomized, controlled, double blinded pilot study. Under review at J Neurotrauma.
  2. Siddiqi SH, Trapp NT, Shahim P, Hacker CD, Laumann TO, Kandala S, Carter AC, Brody DL. fMRI-targeted rTMS for neuropsychiatric sequelae of repetitive traumatic brain injury in a retired NFL player. Under review at J Neuropsych Clin Neurosci.
  3. Siddiqi SH, Chockalingam R, Cloninger CR, Lenze EJ, Cristancho P. Use of the Temperament and Character Inventory to predict response to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for major depression. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 2016;22(3):193-202.

Selected oral presentations:

  1. "Individualized precision targeting of resting-state networks with transcranial magnetic stimulation" – Computational Psychiatry satellite meeting for Society of Biological Psychiatry, May 2017
  2. “Targeted stimulation of brain networks in TBI-associated depression” – Military Health Services Research Symposium, August 2017
  3. "Individualized brain network mapping and neuropsychiatric phenomenology" – Computational Psychiatry satellite meeting for Society of Biological Psychiatry, May 2018
  4. “Targeted modulation of injured brain networks” – Federal Interagency TBI Conference, June 2018

Selected poster presentations:

  1. Siddiqi SH, Eisenstein S, Koller JM, Hershey T, Black KJ. 3D Statistical Mapping of Acute Psychiatric Effects of Various DBS Stimulation Sites in Parkinson Disease. Presented at the American Neuropsychiatric Association, March 2017.
  2. Siddiqi SH, Trapp NT, Shahim P, Hacker CD, Laumann TO, Kandala S, Carter AC, Brody DL. fMRI-targeted rTMS for neuropsychiatric sequelae of repetitive traumatic brain injury in a retired NFL player. Presented at Clinical TMS Society annual meeting, May 2017.
  3. Siddiqi SH, Trapp NT, Shahim P, Hacker CD, Laumann TO, Kandala S, Carter AC, Brody DL. fMRI-targeted rTMS for neuropsychiatric sequelae of repetitive traumatic brain injury in a retired NFL player. Presented at Clinical TMS Society annual meeting, May 2017.
  4. Siddiqi SH, Weigand AW, Cooke DC, Pascual-Leone A, Fox MD. “Individualized connectivity between rTMS targets and the subgenual cingulate is unrelated to antidepressant response.” Presented at 2nd European Conference on Brain Stimulation in Psychiatry, October 2017.
  5. Siddiqi SH, Trillo LT, Trapp NT, Hacker CD, Laumann TO, Carter AR, Brody DL. “Individualized modeling of large-scale functional network dynamics with rTMS.” Presented at American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, December 2017.
  6. Siddiqi SH, Hacker CD, Kandala S, Corbetta M, Brody DL. “Individualized network architecture distinguishes TBI-associated depression from TBI, major depression, and PTSD.” Presented at the American Neuropsychiatric Association, March 2018.