Fonzo Lab

Welcome!

The Fonzo Lab is a team of researchers and clinicians affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry in the The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School. We are a research program dedicated to translational and clinical neuroscience.

We take a multi-modal, interdisciplinary neuroscience approach to studying psychiatric conditions arising from trauma and stress. This includes post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, and major depression.

Why We Do Research:

The overarching goals of our work are:

A) To develop a brain-based scientific framework to characterize the emotional disturbances arising from trauma and stress, utilizing cutting-edge scientific non-invasive techniques;

B) To link affective symptoms (e.g., depressed mood, difficulty experiencing positive emotions, excessive fear and anxiety) and evidence-based treatments (e.g., psychotherapy, medications, brain modulation) to mechanisms that span units of analysis, including brain circuits, information-processing computations, and behavior;

C) To leverage this knowledge to design, implement, and establish efficacy of novel treatments and intervention approaches;

D) Most importantly, to contribute to the alleviation of suffering arising from mental illness.

How We Do Research:

Our primary methodological tools include non-invasive neuroimaging with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); clinical assessment with structured clinical interviews and self-report measures; and behavioral assessment with standardized computerized paradigms. We utilize these measures to characterize the information processing and brain circuit dynamics that underlie particular symptoms arising from trauma and stress, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety.

We also conduct studies examining novel and established treatment modalities, including antidepressant medications, evidence-based psychotherapy, psychedelic-assisted therapies, and neuromodulation treatments.

You Can Make A Difference:

We would love to have you participate in one of our research studies! You can make an important contribution to science by doing so–one that may benefit future generations for years to come. We additionally provide monetary compensation for your time and effort.

Currently, we are running several studies in the Fonzo Lab and in the affiliated Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy