Kristina Rewin Ciesielski
Associate Professor
- Email:
- ktc@unm.edu
- Office:
- Logan Hall, 106
- Education:
- Ph.D. Biological Brain Sciences, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Science Academy, Warsaw
Research Area/s:
Clinical Psychology, Cognition, Brain and Behavior
Research Interests:
- Clinical Psychology-Pediatric Neuroscience
Profile:
Accepting students? Dr. Ciesielski is accepting students for Fall 2025. Please email Dr. Ciesielksi if you are interested in pursuing graduate studies.
Strong empirical evidence pointing to the developmental and heritable/biological basis of anxiety disorders,including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), provides the motive for my dual-track research program, with the main focus on brain networks underlying the top-down inhibitory control. One track examines the familial patterns of structural and functional connectivity of dorsal and ventral visual networks engaged in top-down inhibitory control during the course of healthy development, using working memory and functional resting-state paradigms. The other track characterizes structural and functional deviation of visual networks connectivity in adults and children with OCD, and in those with high-risk for the disorder. I use neuropsychology and combined brain imaging technology (MEG, ERP, MRI, fMRI, DSI) in collaboration with the MGH/MIT/HMS Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The ultimate aim of my research is to identify a heritable functional and structural pattern of neural connectivity in OCD that will help to refine the neurodevelopmental model of the disease and to inform future efforts for neuroimaging-inspired strategies of early preventive intervention.
Selected Publications
Selected Publications
Solis I, Serna L, Stephen JM, Ciesielski KTR. Early Behavioral Markers of Anxiety and Reduced Frontal Brain Alpha May Predict High Risk for Bullying Victimization. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-022-01372-1, 2022.
Ciesielski KTR, Bouchard C, Solis I, Coffman BA, Tofighi D, Pesko JC. Posterior brain sensorimotor recruitment for inhibition of delayed responses in children. Experimental Brain Research. 239: 3221 -3242, 2021
Solis I, Janowich J, Candelaria-Cook F, Collishaw W, Wang YP, Wilson TW, Calhoun VD, Ciesielski KTR, Stephen JM. Frontoparietal network and neuropsychological measures in typically developing children. Neuropsychologia. Aug 20;159:107914. PubMed PMID: 3411950; 2021.
Ciesielski KTR, Stern ME, Diamond A, Khan S, Busa EA, Goldsmith TE, van der Kouwe A, Fischl B, Rosen BR. Maturational Changes in Human Dorsal and Ventral Visual Networks. Cerebral Cortex, 5131-5149, 2019.
Ciesielski KTR and Stephen JM. Brain Dynamics in Pediatric MEG. Chapter In: Springer Nature Switzerland AG S. (Supek, C. J. Aine eds.), Magnetoencephalography, doi.org/10.1007/978=3=319-62657-4-88 pages 1037, 2019.
Ciesielski KTR, Rauch SL, Ahlfors SP, Vangel ME, Wilhelm S, Rosen BR, Hämäläinen MS. Role of Medial Cortical Networks for Anticipatory Processing in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Human Brain Mapping, 33:2125–2134, 2012.
Ciesielski KT, Rowland LM, Harris RJ, Kerwin AA, Reeve A, Knight JE. Increased anterior brain activation to correct responses on high-conflict Stroop task in obsessive–compulsive disorder. Clinical Neurophysiology, 122: 107-113, 2011.
Ciesielski KT, Ahlfors, SP, Bedrick, EJ, Kerwin AA, Hämäläinen MS. Top-down control of MEG alpha-band activity in children performing Categorical N-Back Task. Neuropsychologia, 48: 3573–79, 2010.
Ciesielski KT, Hämäläinen SM, Geller DA, Wilhelm S, Goldsmith TE, Ahlfors SP. Dissociation between MEG Alpha Modulation and Performance Accuracy on Visual Working Memory Task in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Human Brain Mapping, 28: 1401-1414, 2007.
Ciesielski KT, Lesnik PG, Savoy RL, Grant EP, Ahlfors SP. Developmental Neural Networks in Children Performing a Categorical N-Back Task. NeuroImage, 33: 980-990, 2006.
Courses Taught
I teach courses and seminars, and provide graduate mentorship in the area of Pediatric Neuroscience and Developmental Psychopathology.
Current courses include:
(i) Child Psychopathology, PSYC 539/439;
(ii) Anxiety Disorders, PSYC 650/450;
(iii) Neural Basis of Cognitive Development, PSYC 650/450;
(iv) Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory, PSYC 445L.
