Janitza Montalvo-Ortiz, PhD
Assistant Professor of PsychiatryCards
About
Titles
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Biography
My research interests include the study of the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms associated with psychiatry disorders. I investigate how trauma-related events increase the vulnerability to develop mental disorders later in life.
Last Updated on June 12, 2025.
Appointments
Psychiatry
Assistant ProfessorPrimaryBiomedical Informatics & Data Science
Associate Professor on TermSecondary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- PhD
- Northwestern University, Neuroscience (2014)
- BA
- University of Puerto Rico, Biology (2009)
Research
Publications
2026
Identifying novel gene dysregulation associated with opioid overdose death: a meta-analysis of differential gene expression in human prefrontal cortex
Carter J, Quach B, Willis C, Minto M, Hancock D, Montalvo-Ortiz J, Corradin O, Logan R, Walss-Bass C, Maher B, Johnson E. Identifying novel gene dysregulation associated with opioid overdose death: a meta-analysis of differential gene expression in human prefrontal cortex. Translational Psychiatry 2026 PMID: 42103735, DOI: 10.1038/s41398-026-03977-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAdvancing substance use disorder biology by studying underlying gene x environment interactions
Sidamon-Eristoff A, Rivera-Hernandez M, Huckins L, Montalvo-Ortiz J, Brennand K. Advancing substance use disorder biology by studying underlying gene x environment interactions. Current Opinion In Genetics & Development 2026, 97: 102443. PMID: 41702263, PMCID: PMC12919645, DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2026.102443.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsBuilding epigenetic risk scores of opioid use disorder: Insights from human postmortem brain data
Heredia-Negrón F, Nagamatsu S, Carrasquillo-Carrion K, Hurd Y, Rompala G, Melín K, Garcia-Vassallo G, Roche-Lima A, Montalvo-Ortiz J. Building epigenetic risk scores of opioid use disorder: Insights from human postmortem brain data. Translational Psychiatry 2026, 16: 62. PMID: 41513637, PMCID: PMC12873295, DOI: 10.1038/s41398-025-03792-8.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2025
Pandemic Perceptions and Healthcare Decisions: Exploring Perceived COVID-19 Threat’s Impact on Perinatal Healthcare in Florida
Ulfat F, Thayagabalu S, Iglesias A, Xu K, Reeder C, Smith E, Cardel M, Loop M, Rodriguez P, Montalvo-Ortiz J, Hall J, Silva L, Rodriguez M, Wen T, Smulian J, Louis-Jacques A, Francois M, Shenkman E, Lemas D. Pandemic Perceptions and Healthcare Decisions: Exploring Perceived COVID-19 Threat’s Impact on Perinatal Healthcare in Florida. Journal Of Prenatal And Perinatal Psychology And Health 2025, 38: 58-74. PMID: 39867431, PMCID: PMC11759499, DOI: 10.62858/apph241203.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchComputational whole-body-exposome models for global precision brain health
Ibáñez A, Duran-Aniotz C, Migeot J, Báez S, Fittipaldi S, Coronel-Oliveros C, Eyre H, Udeh-Momoh C, Zetterberg H, Alladi S, Sandi C, Robertson I, Franzen S, Farombi T, Montalvo Ortiz J, Seshadri S, Court F, Valdes-Sosa P, Xu J, Yu C, Grinberg L, Lawlor B, Sachdev P, Yaffe K, Hachinski V, Friston K, Tagliazucchi E, Santamaría-García H. Computational whole-body-exposome models for global precision brain health. Nature Communications 2025, 16: 11078. PMID: 41372244, PMCID: PMC12698732, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-67448-3.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsMapping DNA Methylation Signatures to Identify Epigenetic Variation Across Subcortical Regions of the Human Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Brain
Li H, Liu Y, Shi Y, Wang J, Nguyen T, Xie Y, Zheng W, Cheng Y, Cruz D, Modliszewski J, Terwilliger R, Sliby A, Martínez-Magaña J, Montalvo-Ortiz J, Roache J, Averill L, Young-McCaughan S, Shiroma P, Huber B, Lewis D, Glausier J, Holtzheimer P, Friedman M, Zhang J, Peterson A, Abdallah C, Valizadeh A, Zhang X, Xu K, Krystal J, Duman R, Zhao H, Corcoran D, Williamson D, Girgenti M. Mapping DNA Methylation Signatures to Identify Epigenetic Variation Across Subcortical Regions of the Human Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Brain. Biological Psychiatry 2025, 100: 76-87. PMID: 41192574, PMCID: PMC12862789, DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2025.10.032.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchWhole-exome sequencing study of opioid dependence offers novel insights into the contributions of exome variants
Wang L, Nuñez Y, Martínez-Magaña J, Rivera-Hernandez M, Mao Z, Brennand K, Montalvo-Ortiz J, Kranzler H, Gelernter J, Zhou H. Whole-exome sequencing study of opioid dependence offers novel insights into the contributions of exome variants. Translational Psychiatry 2025, 15: 380. PMID: 41052974, PMCID: PMC12500996, DOI: 10.1038/s41398-025-03578-y.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchFunctional Genomics Studies of Psychiatric Disorders in Individuals of Latin American Populations: A Scoping Review
Porras L, Rodríguez‐Lausell I, Iglesias‐Maldonado G, Tuliao E, Martínez G, Leveque C, Tobon J, Eloy R, Belangero S, Bulik C, Loureiro C, Carvalho C, Ota V, Rovaris D, Storch E, Vacuan E, Velasquez M, Consortium L, Santoro M, Nicolini H, Atkinson E, Montalvo‐Ortiz J, Giusti‐Rodríguez P. Functional Genomics Studies of Psychiatric Disorders in Individuals of Latin American Populations: A Scoping Review. American Journal Of Medical Genetics Part B Neuropsychiatric Genetics 2025, 201: 227-245. PMID: 41014243, PMCID: PMC12917904, DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.33063.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsDevelopmental timing of index trauma exposure and accelerated epigenetic aging in United States military veterans
Tamman A, Nagamatsu S, Cabrera-Mendoza B, Averill L, Dunn E, Krystal J, Gelernter J, Montalvo-Ortiz J, Polimanti R, Pietrzak R. Developmental timing of index trauma exposure and accelerated epigenetic aging in United States military veterans. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2025, 182: 107568. PMID: 41016323, DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107568.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchThe impact of chronic pain on brain gene expression
Collier L, Seah C, Hicks E, Holtzheimer P, Krystal J, Girgenti M, Huckins L, Johnston K, Alvarez V, Benedek D, Che A, Cruz D, Davis D, Girgenti M, Hoffman E, Holtzheimer P, Huber B, Kaye A, Krystal J, Labadorf A, Keane T, Logue M, McKee A, Marx B, Miller M, Noller C, Montalvo-Ortiz J, Pierce M, Scott W, Schnurr P, DiSano K, Stein T, Ursano R, Williamson D, Wolf E, Young K. The impact of chronic pain on brain gene expression. Pain 2025, 166: e689-e702. PMID: 40623285, PMCID: PMC12236435, DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003707.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
News
News
- August 27, 2026
Rivera-Hernández Awarded Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral National Research Service Award by NIDA
- April 22, 2025
Groundbreaking Study Highlights Critical Gap in Global Mental Health Research
- September 18, 2024
Montalvo-Ortiz Featured on Atlas of Inspiring Hispanic/Latinx Scientists
- December 14, 2023
Montalvo-Ortiz Accepts Pamela Sklar Innovation Award For Latin American Genomics Consortium