CV

Research Training and Experience [Read More]

Graduate Student Researcher, Dr. Bernardo Sabatini's Lab

Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School | Boston, MA | Jan 2024 – Current

Senior Research Coordinator, Dr. Karestan Koenen's Lab

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health & Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard | Cambridge, MA | Jan 2021 – June 2023

Lab Manager, Drs. Jordane Dimidschstein's and Gordon Fishell's Labs

Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard | Cambridge, MA | Sep 2020 – Sep 2021

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Student and Research Associate, Dr. Geoffrey G. Murphy's Lab

University of Michigan & Michigan Neuroscience Institute | Ann Arbor, MI | Sep 2018 – May 2020

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow, Dr. Robert Greene's Lab

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center | Dallas, TX | Jun 2019 – Aug 2019

Undergraduate Research Associate, Dr. Jack Parent's Lab

University of Michigan Department of Neurology | Ann Arbor, MI | Sep 2017 – Jan 2019

Undergraduate Research Associate, Dr. George Wilson's Lab

William Beaumont Hospital | Royal Oak, MI | May 2017 – Sep 2017

Clinical Experience

Shadowing student, McLean Clinical Didactics Program 

McLean Hospital Psychosis Unit | Belmont, MA | Nov 2021 – Dec 2021

Volunteer, University of Michigan Health System

Michigan Medicine | Ann Arbor, MI | Sep 2018 – Dec 2019

Quality Improvement Intern, Departments of Anesthesiology and Orthapedic Surgery

Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center | Moshi, Tanzania | Jun 2018 – Aug 2018

Honors and Awards

Harvard University

Feb 2023 Graduate Prize Fellowship

University of Michigan

May 2020 Phi Beta Kappa

2016-2020 University Honors (all semesters)

Mar. 2020 James B. Angell Scholar

National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS)

Apr. 2018 Outstanding Scholar Award

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Publications

1. Stroud RE, Hook K, Alemayehu M, Atwoli L, Baker M, Chibnik LB, Gelaye B, Gichuru S, Kariuki SM, Koenen KC, Kwobah EK, Kyebuzibwa J, McMahon J, Mwema RM, Newman CP, Newton CRJC, Ongeri L, Pretorius A, Stein DJ, Stevenson A, Teferra S, Zingela Z, Dickens A. Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Neuropsychiatric Genetics of African Populations-Psychosis (NeuroGAP-Psychosis): A Descriptive Analysis. [In prep, to be submitted to BMJ Global Health].

2. Ramirez AM, Diaz Zuluaga AM, Stroud RE, Vreeker A, Bitta M, Ivankovic F, Wootton O, Whiteman C, Mountcastle H, Jha S, Georgakopoulos P, Kaur I, Asaaf S, Mena L, Diaz G, Akena D, Alemayehu M, Atwoli L, Baker M, Chibnik LB, Gichuru S, James R, Kariuki SM, Kyebuzibwa J, McMahon J, Mwema RM, Newton CRJC, Ongeri L, Stein DJ, Teferra S, Zingela Z, Luiz A, Quarantini LC, Diniz M, Holanda N, Lorencetti PG, Belangero S, Santoro M, Ziebold C, Holanda T, Albuquerque S, Gadelha A, Chapman S, Service S, Ophoff RA, Neale BM, Martin AR, Koenen KC, Pato CN, Lopez-Jaramillo C, Pato MT, Freimer N, Gelaye B, Olde Loohuis L. Phenotype harmonization and analysis for The Populations Underrepresented in Mental illness Association Studies (the PUMAS Project). [Preprint on medRxiv]. 2024 Oct 04. doi: 10.1101/2024.10.02.24314732. [pdf link]

3. Boltz TA, Chu BB, Liao C, Sealock JM, Ye R, Majara L, Fu JM, Service S, Zhan L, Medland SE, Chapman SB, Rubinacci S, DeFelice M, Grimsby JL, Abebe T, Alemayehu M, Ashaba FK, Atkinson EG, Bigdeli T, Bradway AB, Brand H, Chibnik LB, Fekadu A, Gatzen M, Gelaye B, Gichuru S, Gildea ML, Hill TC, Huang H, Hubbard KM, Injera WE, James R, Joloba M, Kachulis C, Kalmbach PR, Kamulegeya R, Kigen G, Kim S, Koen N, Kwobah EK, Kyebuzibwa J, Lee S, Lennon NJ, Lind PA, Lopera-Maya EA, Makale J, Mangul S, McMahon J, Mowlem P, Musinguzi H, Mwema RM, Nakasujja N, Newman CP, Nkambule LL, O'Neil CR, Olivares AM, Olsen CM, Ongeri L, Parsa SJ, Pretorius A, Ramesar R, Reagan FL, Sabatti C, Schneider JA, Shiferaw W, Stevenson A, Stricker E, Stroud RE, Tang J, Whiteman D, Yohannes MT, Yu M, Yuan K, NeuroGAP-Psychosis, Akena D, Atwoli L, Kariuki SM, Koenen KC, Newton CRJC, Stein DJ, Teferra S, Zingela Z, Pato CN, Pato MT, Lopez-Jaramillo C, Freimer N, Ophoff RA, Loohuis LMO, Talkowski ME, Neale BM, Howrigan DP, Martin AR. A blended genome and exome sequencing method captures genetic variation in an unbiased, high-quality, and cost-effective manner. [Preprint]. 2024 Sep 9. doi: 10.1101/2024.09.06.611689. [pdf link]

4. Furlanis E, Dai M, Garcia BL, Vergara J, Pereira A, Pelkey K, Tran T, Gorissen BL, Vlachos A, Hairston A, Huang S, Dwivedi D, Du S, Wills S, McMahon J, Lee AT, Chang EF, Razzaq T, Qazi A, Vargish G, Yuan X, Caccavano A, Hunt S, Chittajallu R, McLean N, Hewit L, Paranzino E, Rice H, Cummins AC, Plotnikova A, Mohanty A, Tangen AC, Shin JH, Azadi R, Eldridge MAG, Alvarez VA, Averbeck BB, Alyahyay M, Vallejo TR, Soheib M, Vattino LG, MacGregor CP, Banks E, Olah VJ, Naskar S, Hill S, Liebergall S, Badiani R, Hyde L, Xu Q, Allaway KC, Goldberg EM, Nowakowski TJ, Lee S, Takesian AE, Ibrahim LA, Iqbal A, McBain CJ, Dimidschstein J, Fishell G, Wang Y. An enhancer-AAV toolbox to target and manipulate distinct interneuron subtypes. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Jul 22:2024.07.17.603924. doi: 10.1101/2024.07.17.603924. PMID: 39091835. [pdf link]

5. Nguyen ND, Lutas A, Amsalem O, Fernando J, Ahn AY, Hakim R, Vergara J, McMahon J, Dimidschstein J, Sabatini BL, Andermann ML. Cortical reactivations predict future sensory responses. Nature. 2024 Jan;625(7993):110-118. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06810-1. Epub 2023 Dec 13. PMID: 38093002. [pdf link]

6. Gabrielle Pouchelon*, Josselyn Vergara*, Justin McMahon*, Bram L. Gorissen*, Jessica D. Lin, Douglas Vormstein-Schneider, Jason L. Niehaus, Timothy J. Burbridge, Jason C. Wester, Mia Sherer, Marian Fernandez-Otero, Kathryn C. Allaway, Kenneth Pelkey, Ramesh Chittajallu, Chris J. McBain, Melina Fan, Jason S. Nasse, Gregg A. Wildenberg, Gordon Fishell, Jordane Dimidschstein. VTK: A versatile viral toolkit for functional discovery in the nervous system. Cell Reports Methods. 2022 Jun 20. doi: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2022.100225. Epub ahead of print 2022 May 26. PMID: 35784651; PMCID: PMC9243523. [pdf link]
   *These authors contributed equally to this work

Other Written

• McMahon J. Nature’s Lab: How Unusual Animals Are Unlocking the Mysteries of the Brain. 2024 Oct 1.

• McMahon J. Gene Therapy: Cutting Edge Neuroscience in Medicine. 2023 Aug 24.

• McMahon J. Neuro Primer: Gene Therapy. 2022 Dec 13.

Invited Oral Presentations

• Justin McMahon and Josselyn Vergara (Nov, 2022). A versatile viral toolkit for functional discovery in the nervous system. Oral presentation, Driver Seat Neuroscience Talks, Virtual. 

Poster Presentations

• Dickens Akena, Iman Ali, Elizabeth G. Atkinson, Lukoye Atwoli, Lori B. Chibnik, Alessandra Cirillo, Bizu Gelaye, Sophie L.A. Greenebaum, Symon M. Kariuki, Justin McMahon, Charles R.J.C Newton, Kristianna Post, Dan J. Stein, Anne Stevenson, Rocky E. Stroud, Solomon Teferra, Zukiswa Zingela, Karestan C. Koenen. Neuropsychiatric Genetics in Africa: Building the Research and the Researchers Together (Dec, 2021). Annual Broad Institute Scientific Retreat, Cambridge, MA.

• Dickens Akena, Iman Ali, Elizabeth G. Atkinson, Lukoye Atwoli, Lori B. Chibnik, Alessandra Cirillo, Bizu Gelaye, Sophie L.A. Greenebaum, Symon M. Kariuki, Justin McMahon, Charles R.J.C Newton, Kristianna Post, Dan J. Stein, Anne Stevenson, Rocky E. Stroud, Solomon Teferra, Zukiswa Zingela, Karestan C. Koenen. Neuropsychiatric Genetics in Africa: Building the Research and the Researchers Together (Sep, 2021). Annual Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research Symposium, Cambridge, MA.

• Justin McMahon, Alex Sonneborn, Robert W. Greene. Noradrenergic modulation of long term potentiation in hippocampal CA1 (Aug, 2019). UT-Southwestern Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Symposium, Dallas, TX.

Grant Writing Experience

• Climate Change and Mental Health in Madagascar: A Health Systems Ecological Approach (Submitted Feb, 2022)
  The Harvard University Climate Change Solutions Fund (2021-2022)
  Harvard University Internal grant
  Grant Status: Funded

• Rapid, Locally-informed Assessment of Mental Health in Madagascar: Feasibility of the DIME model in an unfolding climate change-driven humanitarian crisis (Submitted Nov, 2021)
  The Harvard University Motsepe Presidential Research Accelerator Fund for Africa (2021-2022)
  Harvard University Internal grant
  Grant Status: Not funded

Teaching Experience

Science Learning Center (2017 – 2020)

Study Group Facilitator for General Chemistry

Activities and Leadership

International Society of Psychiatric Genetics (ISPG) (2022 – 2023)

National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS)  (2017 – 2020)

University of Michigan Chapter President 

Neuroscience Student Association (2017 – 2020)

Professional Development Chair

University of Michigan Club Boxing Team (2019 – 2020)

Swahili Club (2016-2020)

Outreach and Service

Harvard Program in Neuroscience Application Assistance Program (Sep 2024 – Current)

Mentor

Knowing Neurons (2022 – Current)

Editor

Population Mental Health Forum Series (2021 – Current)

Website Manager and Organizer

BrainsRule! Annual Symposium (2018 – 2019)

Volunteer Instructor

Alpha Phi Omega Professional Service Fraternity (2017 – 2019)

Health Committee | Packaged medical supplies for dispersal to under-resourced African communities

Alpha House Chair | Organized cooking events for volunteers at Alpha House homeless shelter

Last updated: November 2022