Entry Year

2016

Major Area of Study

Neuropsychology

Mentor

Carrie McDonald, PhD

E-mail

anr086@ucsd.edu

Research Interests

My current research is focused on understanding how temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) affects structural and functional brain networks through the use of advanced neuroimaging. My goal in research is to help optimize the pre-surgical evaluation of patients with TLE in order to improve post-surgical outcomes and quality of life. I am particularly interested in working with Hispanic patients with TLE in order to optimize medical outcomes for this underserved population by improving diagnostic measures and Hispanic representation in neuroimaging/neuropsychological research. I also strive to understand how bilingualism alters language networks in the brain and to whether first versus second languages are differentially impacted by surgical interventions.

Representative Publications

  • Reyes, A., Paul, B.M., Marshall, A., Chang, Y.A., Bahrami, N., Gollan T.H., McDonald, C.R. (2018). Does bilingualism increase brain reserve or cognitive reserve in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy? Epilepsia.

  • Chang, Y. H. A., Javadi, S. S., Bahrami, N., Uttarwar, V. S., Reyes, A., & McDonald, C. R. (2018). Mapping lexical-semantic networks and determining hemispheric language dominance: Do task design, sex, age, and language performance make a difference? Brain and language, 179, 42-50.

  • Reyes, A., Holden, H. M., Chang, Y. H. A., Uttarwar, V. S., Sheppard, D. P., DeFord, N. E., DeJesus, S.Y., Kansal, L., Gilbert, P.E., McDonald, C. R. (2018). Impaired spatial pattern separation performance in temporal lobe epilepsy is associated with visuospatial memory deficits and hippocampal volume loss. Neuropsychologia, 111, 209-215.

  • Reyes, A., Uttarwar, VS., Chang, Y.H.A, Balachandra, A.R., Pung, C.J., Hagler, D.J., Paul, B.M., McDonald, CR. (2017). Decreased neurite density within frontostriatal networks is associated with executive dysfunction in temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav

  • Chang, Y.-H. A., Kemmotsu, N., Leyden, K. M., Kucukboyaci, N. E., Iragui, V. J., Tecoma, E. S., Kansal, L., Norman, M. A., Compton, R.,  Ehrlich, T. J., Uttarwar, V. S., Reyes, A., Paul, B. M., & McDonald, C. R. (2017). Multimodal imaging of language reorganization in patients with left temporal lobe epilepsy. Brain and Language. Brain Lang, 170, 82-92.

  • Reyes, A., Thesen, T., Kuzniecky, R., Devinsky, O., McDonald, C. R., Jackson, G. D., … & Blackmon, K. (2017). Amygdala enlargement: Temporal lobe epilepsy subtype or nonspecific finding?. Epilepsy Research, 132, 34-40.

  • Schaafsma, S.M., Gagnidze, K., Reyes, A.,Norstedt, N., Månsson, K., Francis, K., & Pfaff, D.W. (2017). Sex-specific gene-environment interactions underlying ASD-like behaviors. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA.

  • Reyes, A., Thesen, T., Wang, X., Hahn, D., Yoo,D., Kuzniecky, R., Devinsky, O., & Blackmon, K. (2016). Resting-state MRI distinguishes temporal lobe epilepsy subtypes. Epilepsia, 57(9), 1475-84.

  • Clipperton-Allen, A. E., Lee, A. W., Reyes, A., Devidze, N., Phan, A., Pfaff, D. W., & Choleris, E. (2012). Oxytocin, vasopressin and estrogen receptor gene expression in relation to social recognition in female mice. Physiology & behavior, 105(4), 915-924.

Grants/Awards
  • American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology Diversity Travel Scholarship
  • San Diego Fellowship- University of California, San Diego (2016-2018)
  • International Neuropsychology Society SLC Research Award (2017)
  • MA Scholar New York University Department of Psychology (2015-2016)