Erin A Hazlett, PhD
- PROFESSOR | Psychiatry
- PROFESSOR | Neuroscience
Research Topics:
Brain, Brain Imaging, Cognitive Neuroscience, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Neuroscience, Prefrontal Cortex, Schizophrenia, ThalamusDr. Hazlett is a Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Director of the Cognitive Psychophysiology Laboratory. She also has a secondary appointment in the Department of Neuroscience. Dr. Hazlett is a Principal Investigator on grants from the NIMH, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Defense. She has received Young Investigator and Independent Investigator Awards from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (formerly NARSAD). Her work has been featured on the cover of three international journals (Biological Psychiatry, The American Journal of Psychiatry, and Brain Research). Professor Hazlett is a member of the Association for Psychological Research, Society for Psychophysiological Research, and the Society for Research in Psychopathology.
Multi-Disciplinary Training Area
Neuroscience [NEU]Education
MA, University of Southern California
PhD, University of Southern California
Dr. Hazlett’s multidisciplinary and translational research utilizes neuroimaging and other psychophysiological measures to study normal and disordered cognition and emotion. Her laboratory’s multi-measure approach employs functional brain imaging (e.g., functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)) together with more basic psychophysiological measures (e.g., skin conductance responsivity and modulation of the startle eyeblink response) to investigate and characterize information-processing deficits in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, schizotypal personality disorder) and affective processing deficits in personality disorders (e.g., borderline personality disorder) and major depression characterized by emotional dysregulation. Functional brain imaging allows a window onto the brain’s activity while the more basic psychophysiological measures allow superior temporal resolution (in milliseconds) to examine the magnitude and time course of the cognitive- and emotion-processing deficits observed in patients with various types of psychiatric illness.
Dr. Hazlett is particularly interested in individual differences in attentional and emotional information processing that might predict treatment response. She and her team are currently working on a 4-year study funded by a VA Merit Award that uses fMRI and affective startle modulation to study Veterans at low and high risk for suicide. If you are interested in participating in our research, please call a member of our team at (718) 584-9000 x3635.
Finally, Dr. Hazlett has a long-standing interest in the clinical symptom and cognitive correlates of structural MRI abnormalities in the schizophrenia spectrum.
For more information on Dr. Hazlett's Cognitive Psychophysiology Lab, click here:
http://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/hazlett-lab/
Current Grants:
4/1/18-3/31/23
Principal Investigator: 1 IK6 CX001738-01 (Direct costs: $905,806)
“CSR&D Research Career Scientist Award”
This award provides full-time VA salary support for the PI and enhances opportunities for (a) conducting collaborative neuroimaging and psychophysiological research, and (b)research mentoring at the JJPVAMC.
4/1/17-3/31/21
Principal Investigator: VA Merit Award I01 CX001451 (Direct costs: $1,248,330)
“Neurobiology of affective instability in Veterans at low and high risk for suicide”
This study examines affective startle and frontal-amygdala circuitry as biomarkers of high risk suicidal behavior in Veterans.
6/1/18-5/31/19
Principal Investigator: MHBA-014-16S (Direct costs: $77,113)
“Supplement to VA Merit I01 CX001451: Neurobiology of affective instability in Veterans at low and high risk for suicide”
This one-year supplement adds two computerized assessments of impulsivity to the parent study to examine motor and cognitive impulsivity in Veterans at low and high risk for suicide.
2013-2018
Co-Investigator: NIMH R01 MH097799 (Direct costs: $487,665)
“A D1 agonist for working memory enhancement in the schizophrenia spectrum”
Principal Investigator: Antonia New, M.D./Larry Siever, M.D.
This study examines the effects of DAR-0100A—a highly selective, full dopamine-1 receptor (D1R) agonist on working memory impairments in patients with schizotypal personality disorder.
2018-2023
Co-Investigator: VA Merit Award I01 CX001705 (Direct costs: $1,629,240)
“Group (“Project Life Force”) vs. Individual Suicide Safety Planning RCT”
Principal Investigator: Marianne Goodman, M.D.
This project evaluates the effectiveness of a 10-session suicide safety planning group based intervention for suicidal Veterans incorporating emotion regulation skills vs. safety planning without group involvement.
2016-2020
Co-Investigator: VA Merit Award I01 CX001395 (Direct costs: $1,000,000)
“DNA Methylation and Inflammatory Signatures with Suicide Risk and Treatment in US Veterans”
Principal Investigator: Fatimah Haghighi, Ph.D.
This project examines DNA methylation patterns and inflammatory markers in Veterans with suicidal behavior, depression, and healthy comparison subjects, followed longitudinally and examines changes with treatment.
2014-2018
Co-Investigator: VA Merit Award I01 RX001106 (Direct costs: $1,098,784)
“Multifamily group to reduce marital conflict and disability in Veterans with mTBI”
Principal Investigator: Drapalski/Goodman
This project evaluates the effectiveness of a manualized, skills-based multifamily group treatment for Veterans with mild traumatic brain injury in improving community integration.
Physicians and scientists on the faculty of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai often interact with pharmaceutical, device and biotechnology companies to improve patient care, develop new therapies and achieve scientific breakthroughs. In order to promote an ethical and transparent environment for conducting research, providing clinical care and teaching, Mount Sinai requires that salaried faculty inform the School of their relationships with such companies.
Dr. Hazlett did not report having any of the following types of financial relationships with industry during 2019 and/or 2020: consulting, scientific advisory board, industry-sponsored lectures, service on Board of Directors, participation on industry-sponsored committees, equity ownership valued at greater than 5% of a publicly traded company or any value in a privately held company. Please note that this information may differ from information posted on corporate sites due to timing or classification differences.
Mount Sinai's faculty policies relating to faculty collaboration with industry are posted on our website. Patients may wish to ask their physician about the activities they perform for companies.