Akash Mishra Selected for ASSFN AMPLify Program to Advance Research in Personalized Depression Treatment
The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell is pleased to announce that MD/PhD student Akash Mishra has been selected for the American Association for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery (ASSFN) AMPLify Program. Mishra was selected from researchers nationwide for the competitive program.
The AMPLify Program is designed to equip the next generation of neurosurgeons with the essential tools and experience to become leaders in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery. This opportunity provides year-long research and clinical training, including an all expenses paid three-month clinical observership, allowing Mishra to advance his training in this specialized field of medicine.
“I feel privileged to have been selected for this program and am so excited to be able to take my training to the next level,” said Mishra, who will defend his PhD in March.
Mishra’s selection follows a history of recognized research excellence. In 2024, he received the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) F30 Fellowship from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for research conducted at the Human Brain Mapping Laboratory (HBML) within the Feinstein Institute’s Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine. Mishra’s current research extends that work and addresses the growing public health challenge of treating individuals with difficult-to-treat depression. He focuses on optimizing brain stimulation therapies to avoid the lengthy and stressful trial-and-error process many patients endure.
“My research aims to identify specific, measurable brain signals that can help us more easily align our treatment approaches to the individuals who would respond best to them,” said Mishra. “This would decrease the time it takes for patients to receive the best therapy for them and hopefully make the entire process less demanding.”
Mishra, a native of East Lyme, Conn., will begin the AMPLify Program in June as a Visiting Fellow at Mass General Brigham in Boston, under the mentorship of Dr. John Rolston in the Department of Neurosurgery, where they use and study brain-stimulation therapies. The two met through the ASSFN Advocacy Committee, where Mishra led several initiatives. “His motivation, curiosity, and prior research productivity give me great confidence in his ability to accomplish his goals,” stated Dr. Rolston. “I am enthusiastic about hosting Akash for this program and confident that his time at MGB will advance both his career development and the field’s understanding of brain network mechanisms underlying depression.”
Mishra credits his success to the guidance of his faculty and mentors at the Zucker School of Medicine and Northwell Health, including Dr. Stephan Bickel and Dr. Ashesh Mehta, co-directors of the HBML, and Dr. Miklos Argyelan of the Feinstein Institutes. “My mentors and advisors have been critical in helping me determine my career goals and in promoting my research and clinical development,” said Mishra.
While much of his time is spent studying brain signals in the laboratory, when he’s not in the lab, Mishra can be found experimenting in the kitchen. A self-described “foodie,” Mishra says he especially enjoys trying new cuisines and finding hidden gems across Long Island and New York City. “Lately, I’ve been trying to recreate some of my favorite restaurant dishes at home. It’s definitely been a trial-and-error process so far, but my cooking is slowly getting there!”
Mishra plans to graduate from the Zucker School of Medicine with an MD/PhD in May 2028.
Read more about Mishra’s 2024 NIH grant here.
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