We are proud to share that Noah Stapper, a student in the SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology (entering class of 2023), has been awarded the Rita L. Atkinson Graduate Fellowship. This fellowship supports PhD students engaged in interdisciplinary research at UCSD.
Mentored by Dr. Cory Weissman and Dr. Jeff Daskalakis (UCSD), Noah’s research focuses on novel treatments for individuals that are experiencing thoughts of suicide. More specifically, he studies brain stimulation techniques, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, as well as the use of ketamine to reduce suicidal ideation.
Noah takes an interdisciplinary approach to the treatment of suicidal ideation. He recently initiated a randomized controlled trial examining the combined effects of ketamine and psychotherapy, integrating psychiatric and clinical psychology interventions while investigating treatment mechanisms using a neuroscience framework. Using this comprehensive approach Noah aims to offer patients rapid and sustained relief from suicidal thoughts, while studying the neurobiological basis of suicidal ideation.
We are proud to also share that Noah has been awarded the ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) Scholarship. Noah is a is a recipient of the UC San Diego-based ARCS Scholarship.
Noah’s research focuses on novel treatments for individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts and exploring the neurobiological basis of suicidality. Using a neuroimaging method that combines transcranial magnetic stimulation with electroencephalography (TMS-EEG), he investigates neural biomarkers associated with the severity of suicidal ideation and treatment response. Identifying these biomarkers has the potential to optimize emerging therapeutic approaches for suicidal ideation, including repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and intranasal ketamine. For his dissertation, Noah is running a clinical trial that aims to extend the currently short lived anti-suicidal effects of ketamine, by combining ketamine with brief cognitive behavioral therapy. With this approach, he aims to maximize the immediate anti-suicidal effects of ketamine and sustained anti-suicidal effects of psychotherapy.
Since 1985, ARCS San Diego has awarded $13.3 million for over 1,730 individual scholar awards to students at UC San Diego, San Diego State University, University of San Diego, and Scripps Research.
Congratulations Noah!