Lab Members

Anahita Bassir Nia, MD, is an Addiction Psychiatrist and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine.

Dr. Bassir Nia has focused her research on translational science to understand the neurobiology of stress-related psychiatric disorders such as substance use disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The ultimate goal of her research is to identify novel biological targets in treating these disorders. She received her career development award for studying the endogenous cannabinoid system (eCB) in opioid use disorder (OUD) and conducted brain imaging studies to investigate the availability of cannabinoid receptors in individuals with various stress-related disorders such as PTSD and OUD. She is also interested in the potential use of psychedelics in the treatment of substance use disorders and PTSD. She investigates the potential effects of psychedelics N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and its underlying mechanism, such as changes in neuroplasticity. She is interested in the impact of early-life adversity on brain development and its consequences on mental health later in life.

Ardavan Mohammad Aghaei, MD, MPH, is a postdoctoral research associate at Bassir Nia's Lab and Schizophrenia Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group at Yale (SNRGY). He graduated from the MD, MPH program at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran, where his research was focused on addiction epidemiology and social psychiatry. At Yale Psychiatry Department, he works under the supervision of Dr. Anahita Bassir Nia, conducting translational research on addiction and other psychiatric disorders. Ardavan's main interest lies in understanding the mechanisms of action of psychedelic drugs and exploring their potential in treating substance use disorders. Additionally, his other research track includes studying the role of the endocannabinoid system in the interplay of substance use disorders and stress/trauma responses and potentially targeting this system for the treatment of substance use or stress/trauma-related disorders. In his free time, Ardavan enjoys cooking and reading.

Angelina Contreras is currently a Research Assistant 2 within the ABN Lab at Yale University, Department of Psychiatry. She is actively involved in the recruitment and the coordination of multiple research projects, primarily focusing on substance use disorders. Angelina began her career in pre-clinical research consisting of neuromodulation and addiction studies with non-human primates. She graduated from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities with a B.S. in Psychology and minors in Biology, Integrative Neuroscience, and Public Health. Her research interests include pharmaceutical treatments for chronic severe mental illness and substance addiction.

Mackenzie Griffin is currently a research assistant within the ABN lab at Yale University School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry. She primarily works on Yale regulatory submissions and helps ensure compliance with research protocols and procedures.

Mackenzie is a fourth year PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, where she focuses her studies on the psychological, behavioral and social factors related to sport injury. Mackenzie is interested in factors that relate to injury risk, response, and recovery, including the use of substances after the occurrence of a sport injury.

Before attending the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities, Mackenzie went to Trinity College for her undergraduate degree, earning a BS in psychology. Upon graduation, Mackenzie went on to conduct research, as a research assistant, at Yale University School of Medicine in the Schizophrenia Neuropharmacology Research Group for over six years. During this time Mackenzie earned her MSEd in school and mental health counseling from the University of Pennsylvania while staying involved with clinical research at Yale.

Garret Griffith is a research coordinator within the ABN lab in Yale University School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry. He is actively involved in the development of lab recruitment services and assists in communication between study sponsors and the primary onsite teams. His interests include studying ways in which novel pharmacological interventions could be used to enhance psychotherapy in individuals with treatment-resistant illnesses. He aspires to become a psychiatrist focused on integrating positive mental health practices into public institutions.

Carly Hewes is a research assistant within the ABN Lab at Yale University, Department of Psychiatry. She assists in regulatory compliance at VA Connecticut Healthcare System. Carly is actively involved in protocol implementation and processes. She works closely with the ABN Lab team to ensure research projects adhere to protocol and clinical standards. Carly has a particular interest in public health equity and access.

As a predoctoral candidate, my dissertation research focused on the functional neural circuitry underlying dual-diagnosis substance use disorders (SUD) with other psychiatric disorders – primarily depression and PTSD. I used resting-state and task fMRI to identify altered functional connectivity in the brains of individuals with dual-diagnoses compared to individuals with either disorder type alone. Elaborating on those findings, I studied the relationship between childhood trauma and the uniquely altered functional connectivity in individuals with dual-diagnoses. I then used machine learning to classify the resting-state fMRI of individuals with psychiatric disorders vs. individuals without psychopathology.

I am currently working with Ben Kelmendi, MD to study the neurobiology underlying the therapeutic effect of psilocybin on OCD by applying my skill set in neuroimaging and machine learning to brain scans pre and post psilocybin administration. I plan to apply similar techniques to study the potential therapeutic effect of psychedelics on substance use disorders (SUD). Clinically I am interested in addiction and community psychiatry, and working to develop community-based models for the prevention and maintenance of SUD. In pursuit of this goal, I am additionally studying how psychedelics can be developed in an equitable manner, so that as they become available to the general public, they will be accessible and affordable for all people. I am involved in both science and mental health advocacy and have experience advocating at both the local and national level through organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the Society for Neuroscience. In my free time I like to paint, hike, kayak, cook, and read/ watch all things sci-fi.

Dr. Matthews is an internist with dual board certifications in infectious diseases and addiction medicine. He is actively involved in drug development and pharmacokinetic studies, with a particular interest in developing psychedelic therapeutics for treating chronic pain across the lifespan. Additionally, Dr. Matthews focuses on improving methodologies to effectively blind sensory experiences associated with these drugs.