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
Assistant ProfessorSecondary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- PhD
- Northwestern University, Neuroscience (2014)
- BA
- University of Puerto Rico, Biology (2009)
Research
Publications
2025
Computational 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 Original ResearchMapping DNA methylation signatures to identify epigenetic variation across subcortical regions of the human PTSD 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 PTSD brain. Biological Psychiatry 2025 PMID: 41192574, DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2025.10.032.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchFear circuitryDNA methylationPost-traumatic stress disorderNeurobiology of PTSDTraumatic stress exposureDepressive disorder casesGene expressionSevere psychological traumaKetamine trialsPTSD patientsKetamine efficacyUnique biologyStress disorderDNA methylation signaturesCell typesMental disordersStress exposureSubcortical regionsPTSDPsychological traumaDisorder casesRNA-seqEpigenetic variationMethylation dataReference panelWhole-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 ResearchConceptsWhole-exome sequencing studiesGenetic architectureRisk variantsGene-based collapsing testCross-ancestry meta-analysisContribution of rare coding variantsGenome-wide association studiesWhole-exome sequencing dataRare Coding VariantsLow-frequency variantsParticipants of European ancestryLoss-of-functionExome variantsCross-ancestrySequence dataOpioid dependenceAssociation studiesMissense variantsTop genesEuropean ancestrySuggestive associationsRare variantsAfrican ancestryFunctional studiesYale-PennASSOCIATION OF PTSD SYMPTOM TRAJECTORIES WITH ACCELERATED PACE OF EPIGENETIC AGING IN U.S. MILITARY VETERANS
Nagamatsu S, Pietrzak R, Fischer I, Gelernter J, Montalvo-Ortiz J. ASSOCIATION OF PTSD SYMPTOM TRAJECTORIES WITH ACCELERATED PACE OF EPIGENETIC AGING IN U.S. MILITARY VETERANS. European Neuropsychopharmacology 2025, 99: 21-22. DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2025.08.498.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPosttraumatic stress disorder symptom trajectoriesPosttraumatic stress disorder symptomsPosttraumatic stress disorderU.S. military veteransSymptom trajectoriesMilitary veteransPTSD symptom trajectoriesPace of biological agingEvidence-based treatmentsPhysical health outcomesEpigenetic ageLongitudinal impactIntrusive thoughtsStress disorderBackground Mental disordersHeightened arousalMale U.S. military veteransMental disordersNegative alterationsChronic stressCross-sectional associationsVeteransMultivariate linear regressionHealth outcomesNo significant associationDECODING RARE CNVS AND THEIR FUNCTIONAL INSIGHTS IN MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER FROM LATIN AMERICAN COHORTS
Nunez-Rios D, Nagamatsu S, Martínez-Magaña J, Nicolini H, Delia A, Lattig M, Marquez Y, Ferro E, Martinez K, Guisti P, group L, group P, Fernandez T, Montalvo-Ortiz J. DECODING RARE CNVS AND THEIR FUNCTIONAL INSIGHTS IN MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER FROM LATIN AMERICAN COHORTS. European Neuropsychopharmacology 2025, 99: 10. DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2025.08.472.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchGenome-wide association studiesCopy-number variationsDosage-sensitive genesSingle nucleotide variantsMDD-associated genesDatabase of Genomic VariantsRare copy-number variationsCopy-number variation studyDiscovery of risk variantsComplex admixture patternsGenomes Project dataAdmixed Latin AmericansFunctional relevancePotential functional relevanceAncestry inferenceAdmixture patternsGenetic diversityGenomic variantsNucleotide variantsPopulation stratificationAssociation studiesGene regulationDNA sequencesCoding regionGenetic rearrangementsCOVID-19-RELATED STRESSORS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS AND ACCELERATED EPIGENETIC IN ISLAND-BASED PUERTO RICAN POPULATION
Hernández-Garayua A, Rodríguez-León A, Núñez D, Nagamatsu S, Martínez-Gonzalez K, Giusti-Rodriguez P, Montalvo-Ortiz J. COVID-19-RELATED STRESSORS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS AND ACCELERATED EPIGENETIC IN ISLAND-BASED PUERTO RICAN POPULATION. European Neuropsychopharmacology 2025, 99: 10-11. DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2025.08.473.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPost-traumatic stress disorderMajor depressive disorderCOVID-19 related stressorsCOVID-19 stressorsMajor depressive disorder symptomsPost-traumatic stress disorder symptomsRelated stressorsCombined sex analysesSymptoms of major depressive disorderPsychiatric disorder symptomsCOVID-19-related stressorsSelf-report measuresCOVID-related stressorsAdverse mental health outcomesMental health interventionsConsequences of stressorsMental health outcomesEpigenetic ageDepressive disorderEpigenome-wide association analysisSex analysisAt-risk populationsDisorder symptomsPCL-5Stress disorderM11. MULTI-OMICS ANALYSIS OF ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (ACE) IN THE ORBITOFRONTAL CORTEX (OFC) OF HUMAN POSTMORTEM BRAIN
Nunez-Rios D, Jimenez L, Luppino J, Nagamatsu S, Martínez-Magaña J, Group T, Montalvo-Ortiz J. M11. MULTI-OMICS ANALYSIS OF ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (ACE) IN THE ORBITOFRONTAL CORTEX (OFC) OF HUMAN POSTMORTEM BRAIN. European Neuropsychopharmacology 2025, 99: 114. DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2025.08.207.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPost-traumatic stress disorderSubstance use disordersComorbidity of post-traumatic stress disorderAdverse childhood experiencesAssociated with adverse childhood experiencesOrbitofrontal cortexUse disorderExposure to adverse childhood experiencesPostmortem brainsAdverse childhood experience exposureDevelopment of substance use disordersPostmortem brains of individualsAlcohol use disorderHuman postmortem brainBrains of individualsOFC neuronsOpioid use disorderEmotion regulationStress disorderBrain regionsMental disordersFluorescence-activated nuclei sortingPolysubstance useChildhood experiencesCell-type specificityM13. DISENTANGLING THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX MULTI-OMIC PROFILE OF OPIOID MISUSE AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER COMORBIDITY
Martinez-Magana J, Nagamatsu S, Rivera-Hernández M, Núñez-Ríos D, Krystal J, Girgenti M, Group T, Montalvo-Ortiz J. M13. DISENTANGLING THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX MULTI-OMIC PROFILE OF OPIOID MISUSE AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER COMORBIDITY. European Neuropsychopharmacology 2025, 99: 115-116. DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2025.08.209.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPost-traumatic stress disorderDorsal anterior cingulate cortexPrefrontal cortexHuman prefrontal cortexOrbitofrontal cortexOpioid use disorderComorbid groupPost-traumatic stress disorder comorbidityContext of post-traumatic stress disorderAssociated with post-traumatic stress disorderSubgenual prefrontal cortexAnterior cingulate cortexDorsolateral prefrontal cortexAssociated with opioid misuseAddiction cycleFear processingPTSD symptomsCingulate cortexStress disorderUse disorderSymptom severityBrain regionsCholinergic systemSgPFCOpioid misuseA META-ANALYSIS OF GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDIES OF DEPRESSION IN LATIN AMERICAN COHORTS: PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM THE MDD WORKING GROUP OF THE LATIN AMERICAN GENOMICS CONSORTIUM
Corral-Frias N, Singh M, Chatzinakos C, Cárcamo J, Amaya L, de Oliveira A, Nuñez-Rios D, Ota V, Nagamatsu S, Toledo M, Bigdeli T, Martinez-Levy G, Lattig M, Montalvo-Ortiz J, Peterson R. A META-ANALYSIS OF GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDIES OF DEPRESSION IN LATIN AMERICAN COHORTS: PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM THE MDD WORKING GROUP OF THE LATIN AMERICAN GENOMICS CONSORTIUM. European Neuropsychopharmacology 2025, 99: 12. DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2025.08.475.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchGenome-wide association studiesGenome-wide association study meta-analysisMeta-analysis of genome-wide association studiesGenetic admixtureAssociation studiesMental health equityBuilding Research CapacityBurden of depressionIndividuals of European descentPsychiatric genetic researchMental health outcomesWorking GroupGWAS Meta-AnalysisGenome analysis pipelineLatin American ancestryHealth equityHealthcare disparitiesHealth outcomesGeneralizability of findingsDepressive phenotypeSelf-report measuresResearch capacityGlobal disparitiesDiverse cohortEuropean descent56. MAPPING THE GENETIC ARCHITECTURE OF SMOKING BEHAVIOR IN LATIN AMERICAN POPULATIONS
Ormond R, Martínez-Magaña J, Deak J, Meredith J, Nicolini H, Belangero S, Team 2, Consortium L, Giusti-Rodriguez P, Santoro M, Atkinson E, Sanchez-Roige S, Montalvo-Ortiz J. 56. MAPPING THE GENETIC ARCHITECTURE OF SMOKING BEHAVIOR IN LATIN AMERICAN POPULATIONS. European Neuropsychopharmacology 2025, 99: 82-83. DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2025.08.161.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchGenome-wide significant lociGenome-wide association studiesSignificant lociGWAS meta-analysesComplex genetic diversitySmoking behaviorSmoking cessationGenetic architectureGenetic diversityGenome databasePhenotype harmonizationAge of smoking cessationAssociation studiesGenomic underpinningsLatin American populationsGenetic analysisAge of smoking initiationBrazilian High-Risk CohortAmerican populationGenetic researchLociStandard analysis planAnalysis planTobacco use disorderPhenotype
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
News
News
- 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
- October 17, 2023
Construyendo Comunidad: Inaugural Conference Unites Latine Health Professionals