Michael Fox

I am an academic neurologist with training in electrical engineering, neuroimaging, movement disorders, and both invasive and noninvasive brain stimulation. The goal of my research is to visualize and modulate human brain circuits for improved treatment of brain disease. I helped develop a neuroimaging technique termed resting state functional connectivity MRI, which uses spontaneous fluctuations in blood oxygenation to map human brain circuits. I have used this imaging technique to map symptoms caused by focal brain lesions to brain circuits, lending insight into the causal neuroanatomical substrate of neurological and psychiatric symptoms. I have also used this technique to identify brain circuits mediating symptom relief, including deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease and transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression. Therapeutic targets identified using these approaches are now in clinical use. My research papers have been cited over 45,000 times and I've received multiple awards, including the inaugural “Trailblazer Prize” from the Foundation for the NIH, a single award across all medical specialties for advances in translational research. In 2020, I founded the Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics at Harvard Medical School / Brigham and Women's Hospital to translate these research advances into better treatments and train others in these techniques. I have mentored over 40 students, including 4 NIH K awardees, many of whom have transitioned to independent faculty positions. I have also led many multisite collaborations with researchers from diverse disciplines and backgrounds, experience which is directly relevant to successfully implementing the current proposal. In summary, I have the training, expertise, and experience necessary to successfully carry out the proposed research project.