Dr. Natalia Jaworska

Dr. Natalia Jaworska
Dr. Natalia Jaworska
Assistant Professor, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine | Director – Clinical Electrophysiology Unit, Institute of Mental Health Research (IMHR)

BSc Honours in Neuroscience, University of Alberta
MSc Psychology/Neuroscience, Dalhousie University
PhD Psychology, University of Ottawa
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University

Room
Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre
Phone
613-722-6521 ext. 6843


Biography

Accomplishments/Awards

Postdoctoral fellowship (2012-14) – Alberta Institutes of Health Research (AIHS)
Postdoctoral fellowship (2015-17) – Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) & Fonds de Recherche Santé, Québec (FRSQ)

Research interests & accomplishments

Broadly, Dr. Jaworska’s research interests center on better understanding brain function and structure in the context of mental illness, particularly mood disorders, as well as the neural features associated with treatment response. She employs various neuroimaging techniques, including clinical electroencephalography (EEG), positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in her work.

She has examined brain function, chemistry, and structure in adolescents at varying risk for substance use disorders and mental health problems that are frequently co-morbid with addiction (McGill University). She has also investigated the neural underpinnings of depression, specifically in adolescents (University of Calgary), as well as assessing electrocortical profiles in depressed individuals throughout the course of antidepressant treatment (University of Ottawa). Dr. Jaworska hopes to utilize neural indices to optimize mental illness treatment. Ideally, such research can nudge mental health practice forward (via research-informed avenues). Her current and future work will focus on exploring the effects of various treatment approaches, including aerobic exercise and stimulation therapies, on neural profiles in mood disorders, particularly in depressed youth.

Research interests

  • Depression
  • Neuroimaging
  • Clinical electrophysiology
  • Adolescent mental health
  • Interventions
  • Sex differences