Aysenil Belger, Ph.D.

Email:  aysenil_belger@med.unc.edu
Office Phone: 919-843-7368

Education:

B.S., Psychology: Ege University, Izmir Turkey

M.A., Physiological Psychology: University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana

Ph.D., Physiological Psychology: University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana

Postdoctoral Training, Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery and Biophysics, Biochemistry and Biomedical Engineering

Summary Statement:

Dr. Belger is the Director of Neuroimaging Research in Psychiatry, as well as Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Radiology Dept at Duke University and the Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center.  Her research focuses on studies of the cortical circuits underlying attention and executive function in the human brain, as well as the breakdown in these functions in neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopment disorders such as schizophrenia and autism. Her research also examines changes in cortical circuits and their physiological properties in individuals at high risk for psychotic disorders. Dr. Belger combines functional magnetic resonance imaging, electrophysiological scalp recording, experimental psychology and neuropsychological assessment techniques to explore the behavioral and neurophysiological dimensions of higher order executive functions. Her most recent research projects have begun focusing on electrophysiological abnormalities in young autistic children and individuals at high risk for schizophrenia. In addition to her research program, Dr. Belger also teaches courses to residents, fellows, graduate and undergraduate students. These courses examine the neuroanatomical and neurophysiological correlates of higher cognitive functions in humans, the development of these processes and their breakdown in disease conditions.

Representative Publications:

1.    Belger, A., Kirino, E., Vita, V., McCarthy, G., D’Souza, C., Goldman-Rakic, P., Gore, J., Krystal, J.H.: Abnormal dorsolateral and inferior prefrontal activation to infrequent visual targets and novel stimuli in schizophrenia: an event-related FMRI study. Archives of General Psychiatry, pp. 1-26 Submitted (11/2002)

2.     Belger, A., Kirino, E., Madonick, S., Gore, J.C., McCarthy, G., Krystal. J.H.: Modulation of Frontal and Cingulate Activation to Infrequent Visual Targets by Ketamine; A Functional MRI Study. Nature Neuroscience, pp.1-14 Submitted (12/2002)

3.    Van der Stelt, O., Frye J., Lieberman J.A., Belger A.: Visual and Auditory Event-Related Brain Potentials in Schizophrenia. In preparation, Archives of General Psychiatry.

4.    Krystal, J.H., Bennet, A., Abi-Saab, D., Belger, A., Karper, L.P., D’Souza, D.C., Lipschitz, D., Abi-Dargham, A., Charney, D.S.: NMDA receptor contributions to executive functions: order-dependent ketamine effects on Wisconsin Card Sorting Test Performance, Biological Psychiatry, 47:137-143, 2001.

5.    Lieberman, J., Perkins, D., Belger, A., Chakos, M., Jarskog, F., Boteva, K., Gilmore, J.: The Early Stages of Schizophrenia: Speculations on Pathogenesis Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Approaches. Biological Psychiatry, 50:11, 884-897, 2001.

6.    Kirino, E., Belger, A., Goldman-Rakic, P., and McCarthy, G.: Prefrontal activation to infrequent visual targets and novel stimuli: an event-related fMRI study. Journal of Neuroscience, 20(17): 6612-6618, 2000.