Celebrating Black History Month

Image

Meet Vonetta Dotson, PhD

Associate Professor and Associate Director of Clinical Training Department of Psychology
Affiliate Faculty, Gerontology Institute
Associate Faculty, Neuroscience Institute
Georgia State University

Describe your research area in neuroscience and what you hope to discover / accomplish within this area.

From my faculty page (https://psychology.gsu.edu/profile/vonetta-dotson/):

My work is at the intersection of clinical psychology, neuropsychology, and cognitive neuroscience, as my lab uses neuroimaging and behavioral techniques to understand positive (e.g., exercise) and negative (e.g., depression) modifiers of brain health in older adults, including health disparities in age-related cognitive and mood disorders. As a scientist-practitioner, I have always been passionate about research that is translational in nature, and thus has implications for how we diagnose, treat, and prevent cognitive and affective disorders. Specifically, my research has primarily centered on the following foci:

1. Cognitive and Neuroimaging Studies of Late-life Depressive Disorders: My overarching research interest is in understanding neurobiological mechanisms that contribute to the spectrum of late-life depressive disorders, as well as the cognitive and functional consequences of these neural changes. I am particularly interested in understanding the neurobiology of different symptom dimensions of depression (e.g., negative affect, lack of positive affect, and somatic symptoms) in order to identify subtypes of depression that might respond differentially to treatments. This work is consistent with the National Institute of Mental Health’s Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) Project, which focuses on translational cognitive neuroscience studies that may inform targeted treatment by examining dimensions of behavior.
2. Exercise Interventions to Improve Mood and Brain Function in Older Adults: Physical exercise is an ideal intervention to address both mood and cognitive symptoms in older adults based on research showing that it 1) is an effective treatment for depression, 2) enhances cognitive functioning in normal aging and in other patient populations, and 3) targets many of the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie both mood and cognitive functioning. I am interested in answering questions about the impact of exercise on neurobiology, mood, and cognitive functioning in older adults and the potential of using different forms of exercise as an alternative or adjunctive treatment for late-life depression.
3. Health Disparities in Age-Related Cognitive and Mood Disorders: Black older adults are at increased risk for cognitive and mood disorders due to a variety of factors including health disparities in chronic health conditions associated with these disorders, as well as the cumulative effect of race-related stressors over their lifetime. My lab is conducting cognitive and affective neuroscience studies of mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and depression in Black older adults, who are generally underrepresented in these areas of research, to identify and minimize racial disparities in this vulnerable group.

My goal is to identify ways to reduce health disparities in cognitive and affective disorders in late life, thereby enabling every individual to age well. My work is designed to be translational in nature, with implications for the daily lives of every individual and for how we diagnose, treat, and prevent cognitive and affective disorders.

What was your motivation to or drive to delve into this area?

Since I first learned about the brain in a Physiological Psychology course during my junior year in college, I have been driven by a desire to understand how the brain relates to behavior, especially to psychological conditions such as depression. In graduate school, I became especially interested in how brain-behavior relationships are impacted by the aging process. Thus, I spent the early part of my career studying the brain basis of depression and cognitive impairment in late life. Over time, my interests expanded to understanding what we can do to mitigate the brain changes that tend to come with age, thereby reducing the risk for depression, cognitive impairment, and dementia. Since starting my position in Atlanta, I have increasingly been able to apply my longstanding interest in health disparities to my ongoing work on positive and negative modifiers or brain health.

What experiences or education best prepared you for what you are doing now?

I was fortunate to have fantastic training in clinical neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience at the University of Florida. I also received a gerontology certificate there, which was critical to forming the interdisciplinary framework I use for my research in aging. Doing my postdoctoral fellowship in an intramural lab at the National Institute on Aging was the experience that solidified my decision to pursue a career as a clinical researcher, rather than focusing on a more clinical career.

What various challenges or obstacles have you faced in your education or career as a black scientist?  How have you been able to overcome them?

There have been a number of challenges, but I would say one of the most pervasive challenges has been dealing with imposter syndrome. Of course this is common in academia in general, but I think it’s particularly salient for women of color. I don’t know if we ever “overcome” imposter syndrome. It’s a continual process of becoming and staying confident in our abilities and our value, regardless of any direct or indirect external messages that would cause us to question ourselves.

What advice do you have for young black scientists as they consider this field as a career option?

Choose a career that ignites your passion and don’t get discouraged if you don’t see a lot of people around you who look like you. You can be the role model and inspiration for the people that come after you. Find a support network and remember to balance work and life.

What is your hope for the future?

My hope for the future is that the field of neuroscience will become more representative—in the trainees and researchers in the field, in the participants we include in our studies, and in the problems we address with our research.