Celebrating Nurse Practitioner (NP) Week: NPs at the Heart of Health Care

Nurse Practitioner team, The Mount Sinai Hospital

The Nurse Practitioner (NP) profession originated in the 1960s through the collaborative and collegial efforts of nurse Loretta Ford, MS, EdD, FAAN, FAANP, and physician Henry Silver, MD, with an emphasis on illness prevention and health promotion including patient education.

Today, there are more than 385,000 licensed NPs bringing a comprehensive perspective to health care all across the United States. The NP role is deemed as one of the fastest growing professions, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a 46 percent increase by 2031.

In collaboration with physicians and interdisciplinary team members, NPs continue to make valuable contributions in delivering optimal patient care while minimizing duplication of clinical effort and promoting the appropriate and timely use of all health care providers on the team. NPs provide care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values, and ensure that patient values guide all clinical decisions.

Nurse Practitioner Week, Sunday, November 10, to Saturday, November 16, provides the Mount Sinai community with the opportunity to reflect on the valuable contributions of our approximately 900 NPs in advancing the mission, vision, and values of our organization.

Below are brief personal reflections of a few of our Mount Sinai Health System NPs on the importance of the NP role in health care:

“NPs bring a unique blend of clinical expertise and patient-centered care to health care. With advanced training, we provide comprehensive assessments, diagnose conditions, and develop treatment plans, often with a focus on preventive care and patient education,” says Meghan Costigan Kraus, FNP-BC, CDCES, Director of Diabetes Services/Endocrinology, Mount Sinai South Nassau. “NPs’ holistic approach emphasizes communication and education, fostering strong relationships and empowering the patients they care for.”

Meghan Costigan Kraus, FNP-BC, CDCES

J’Adore Larosa-Mattis, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC

“As a NP, I prioritize patient-centered care and building strong relationships with my patients and their families,” says J’Adore Larosa-Mattis, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, Department of Surgery, Mount Sinai-Union Square. “A great NP combines clinical expertise with empathy, active listening, and a holistic approach to health. Patients often describe us as approachable and dedicated, highlighting our ability to understand their unique needs and concerns, which fosters trust and enhances their overall experience.”

“NPs bring knowledge and understanding from both nursing and medicine to care for patients and their families, enhancing our ability to collaborate with all care teams and provide the best possible care,” says Francisco Diaz, DNP, RN, NP-BC, GNP-BC, CDCES, Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, Mount Sinai Morningside.

Francisco Diaz, DNP, RN, NP-BC, GNP-BC, CDCES

Helen Wu, NP-BC

“I chose to transition from RN to NP to continue learning and expanding my ability to care for patients,” says Helen Wu, NP-BC, Heart Failure, Mount Sinai Queens. “This journey has been a significant step in my professional development, allowing me to enhance patient care through advanced practice. NPs are important to patient care and provide a blend of clinical expertise, patient-centered care, and compassion.”

“NPs approach the patient with a nursing perspective, which is grounded in being caring and compassionate, really trying to understand our patient from a human perspective,” says Lisette Kimbere, DNP, ANP-BC, Oncology Care Unit, The Mount Sinai Hospital. “We also bring the provider perspective. We understand what may be best for these patients and how to proceed with a specific line of treatment. In a way, we bring the best of both worlds to the patient and their family.”

Lisette Kimbere, DNP, ANP-BC

Holly Morhaim, MSN, NP

“An NP is a clinician who is caring, attentive, establishes trust with their patients, and uses their knowledge, expertise, and experience in bridging gaps in care,” says Holly Morhaim, MSN, NP, Clinical Program Manager, Mount Sinai Stroke Center, Mount Sinai Brooklyn.” An NP differs from a clinical nurse in being able to diagnose and treat medical conditions, order diagnostic tests, and prescribe medical therapies. NPs are nurses at heart, and in addition to diagnosing and treating patients they also focus on patients’ comfort; help bridge patients’ understanding of the disease process, treatments, and expectations; and provide more comprehensive patient education.”

“My sister has been a patient in the health care system for her whole life,” says Chloe Jones, NP, Mount Sinai West. “It can be a confusing, contradictory, and frustrating system to navigate. She has an NP on her cardiology team who is the ‘go-to person.’ If there’s a problem, she solves it. If there’s a question, she answers it. If she doesn’t know, she finds the answer. That’s the value that an NP can bring to care: being the go-to person to help guide patients and families through this often very frightening and challenging experience.”

Fashionably Fighting Multiple Sclerosis at New York Fashion Week

During New York Fashion Week, hundreds of attendees gathered for Project Lab Coat—a showcase of custom-designed, colorful lab coats created and designed by Anthony Rosa, founder and CEO of Runway 7 Fashion, a Fashion Week production company. More than 30 faculty, staff, patients, and families from The Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai attended the event, hosted by Runway 7 Fashion on Saturday, September 7, at Sony Hall in Times Square.

“We created Project Lab Coat to use our platform of Runway 7 Fashion for a greater cause,” said Mr. Rosa, who also serves on the Center’s Advisory Board. “The goal of the Project is fighting multiple sclerosis. It’s a first in many ways for us and could be a model for fighting additional important health battles—cancer, Lyme disease, or others. Our slogan is ‘Project Lab Coat at New York Fashion Week with Mount Sinai… Elevating awareness, fashionably fighting against multiple sclerosis, and uniting for a cause that truly matters.’”

In memory of his late brother, Ralph, who battled multiple sclerosis for 23 years, Mr. Rosa designed fashionable lab coats to raise multiple sclerosis awareness. In a unique touch, Mr. Rosa enlisted doctors, nurse practitioners, and families from the Center to model the coats. Amid a thumping soundtrack by DJ Tone Experience, staff from the Center and professional models alike took to the runway, spinning, strutting, and creating an atmosphere that was both lively and emotional.

Ilana Katz Sand, MD

Before the models began their runway walk, Elizabeth Rosa, mother of Mr. Rosa and Ralph, presented Fred Lublin, MD, Saunders Family Professor of Neurology at Icahn Mount Sinai and Director of the Center, with a $25,000 donation to support the Center’s critical work.

Walking the runway to support the cause were Ilana Katz Sand, MD; Stephen Krieger, MD; James Sumowski, PhD; Sammita Satyanarayan, MD; Sarah Levy, PhD; and Nurse Practitioner Gretchen Mathewson, alongside administrative staffer Lady Navia and research coordinator Claire Wigley, and several professional models. Adding a family touch, Michelle Fabian, MD’s daughter Julia Fabian, Fred Lublin, MD’s granddaughter Avery Lublin, and Social Worker Ilona Silva Alvarez’s daughter Isabella Veliz-Silva also joined.

“All of us at the Center are deeply appreciative of the remarkable and unique opportunity that Anthony Rosa has afforded us in raising awareness of multiple sclerosis and the Center, and in raising needed funds for our goals,” said Dr. Lublin. “I was especially appreciative of having my granddaughter, Avery Lublin, walk the runway and model Anthony’s reimagining of the laboratory coat.”

Stephen Krieger, MD, FAAN

Ilana Katz Sand, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology, Icahn Mount Sinai, and a physician from the Center who walked the runway, shared her experience. “Participating in the fashion show was an amazing experience. Although I was completely terrified while we were standing backstage, I looked around at my wonderful colleagues and was reminded how fortunate I am to be surrounded by such dedicated and caring professionals. We were all there to raise awareness and resources for the Center and all people living with multiple sclerosis; this inspired me to step out onto the runway with my head held high. We are extremely grateful to Anthony for this incredible opportunity and his generous support.”

For Stephen Krieger, MD, FAAN, Professor of Neurology, Icahn Mount Sinai, the evening also meant getting a little uncomfortable. “I was thrilled—terrified, actually—to walk the runway at Fashion Week to support the Center and the Mount Sinai Community,” he said. “It was fun to step out of my comfort zone for the cause. My lab coat said, ‘Find the Cure for MS: Someone I Love is Waiting.’ I think this is an incredible message, our north star at the Center, where we focus every day on both caring for our patients and making advancements in the field.”

The event offered a space not only to enjoy the fashion show but also to connect and celebrate with each other. Attendees from the Center had reserved tables to relax, catch up over drinks and appetizers hosted by Runway 7 Fashion, and cheer on their colleagues as they showed off these meaningful designs.

“A heartfelt thank you to Mr. Rosa and Runway 7 Fashion for creating such a memorable night and for their unwavering support of the Center’s dedicated staff and their work,” said Dr. Lublin.

Learn About the First Flu Vaccine You Can Administer Yourself

On Friday, September 20, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved FluMist®, a nasal spray flu vaccine that you can give to yourself or a loved one easily. This means you will be able to get a flu vaccine without going to a health care professional for a shot.

While FluMist has been available since 2003, until now it could only be given by a health care professional, such as a doctor or nurse, in a health care setting, such as a pharmacy or clinic. Being able to take a flu vaccine in the comfort of one’s home is a good thing, says Waleed Javaid, MD, Director of Infection Prevention and Control at Mount Sinai Downtown. FluMist is anticipated to be available for patients to use themselves for the 2025-2026 flu season.

“I have given FluMist to my children in the past and they’re happy not to be injected,” says Dr. Javaid. “Now, with the option to take the vaccine at one’s convenience, I can imagine this will help more people stay on top of their flu vaccines—I’ve heard from so many friends and even family members, ‘I’m too busy to get my flu shots.’”

Curious to know more about the FluMist vaccine? Dr. Javaid shares his thoughts.

What is the FluMist vaccine?

The FluMist vaccine has been available for quite some time now. Its main difference from the injected flu vaccines, however, is that it uses a live, attenuated—meaning weakened—virus to generate an immune response for protection against the flu. This is in contrast to the injectables that use inactivated (dead) viruses or proteins from a flu virus.

Who might be suitable or unsuitable to use attenuated flu vaccines?

There are certain populations we might consider unsuitable for a live, attenuated vaccine—primarily people who are immunocompromised, or those who might be on immunosuppressing therapy, such as chemotherapy. In those cases, we might recommend them to use inactivated flu vaccines instead.

Otherwise, FluMist is suitable for children and adults. This might be especially helpful for people who have mobility issues and are unable to go into a clinic, or even in a school setting where a non-health care professional could administer the vaccine.

The convenience of being able to pick up the vaccine at a place and time of your choosing is a really big advantage. So often have I heard from patients, family members, and friends about how they’ve skipped their flu shots because they’re too busy to make an appointment and go into the clinic or pharmacy for them.

Waleed Javaid, MD, Director of Infection Prevention and Control at Mount Sinai Downtown, and Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Fast facts about FluMist

  • Initially approved in 2003 for use in individuals ages 5 to 49. In 2007, approved to include children ages two to five. In 2024, approved for self-administration or by a caregiver.
  • Home delivery of FluMist is anticipated to be available for the 2025-2026 flu season.
  • Quadrivalent flu vaccine that protects against four strains of influenza A and B viruses.
  • For individuals ages 2 to 17, the FDA states that a caregiver should administer the vaccine. People ages 18 and older may self-administer the vaccine.

Can I get the flu from a vaccine like FluMist?

While people may experience side effects that are similar to symptoms of the flu, neither the attenuated nor the inactivated flu vaccine can give you the flu.

Side effects from using FluMist can include fevers and chills, runny nose and nasal congestion, and sore throat. In those situations, having plenty of rest, drinking plenty of water, and taking fever and pain medication where necessary are helpful.

How can I get the FluMist vaccine?

The vaccine currently requires a prescription, so this is not something you can just get over the counter. I imagine one could call their doctor’s office for the prescription, and with the availability of telehealth visits, getting in touch with a primary care provider is easier than ever.

The FluMist manufacturers have also set up a website to screen whether an individual is eligible for the nasal spray vaccine. If the system deems the vaccine recipient eligible based on the completed screening, a third-party writes the prescription and ships the vaccine to the provided address.

Is there anything we can expect about the upcoming flu season?

It might be a bit early to say in terms of severity. But with less masking and more relaxed rules of distancing, a flu virus can spread more easily. Thus it’s important to stay on top of your flu vaccines. Make sure you isolate yourself from others if you have cold- or flu-like symptoms, and consider masking if necessary to prevent spread of respiratory illnesses.

Is FluMist effective?

Ever since FluMist was reformulated in 2018 and added back to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) list of recommended flu vaccines, studies tracking the effectiveness of live, attenuated influenza vaccines such as FluMist have shown results similar to those of injectable, inactivated vaccines. It is important to note that the numbers are not from head-to-head comparison studies, and the CDC does not recommend one flu vaccine over another.

Effectiveness of various influenza vaccines
Flu season Live attenuated influenza vaccine Inactivated influenza vaccine
2018-2019 49% 7-48%
2019-2020 45-66% 34-52%
2021-2022 51-72% 13-51%
2022-2023 61-77% 71%

Source: FluMist Health Care Professionals page

Caring for the Community: Jill Goldstein, RN, MA, MS, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer of Mount Sinai Queens

“I love working in a true community-focused environment,” says Jill Goldstein, RN, MA, MS, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer of Mount Sinai Queens.

Jill Goldstein, RN, MA, MS, is all about community. As the nurse leader at Mount Sinai Queens, she oversees a 225-licensed-bed hospital that provides care to the surrounding neighborhoods of western Queens. She directs and supports her team of round-the-clock nursing and support staff. And she is a passionate disruptor of the too-easily-accepted limitations that contribute to the creation of far-reaching social barriers.

“I love working in a true community-focused environment,” says Ms. Goldstein, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer of Mount Sinai Queens. “We operate under one license and share the same policies with The Mount Sinai Hospital, so Mount Sinai Queens is the community complement to their quaternary setting.”

Ms. Goldstein sees this as her hospital’s superpower. “Nearly 70 percent of our hospital staff live and work among the people they see as patients. We have a strong connection to our community that’s palpable. It’s deep, and it’s real,” she says. “We take care of the same people we see in the grocery store and the bank. This, combined with the size of the hospital itself, makes it a place where people know one another’s name. There’s a familiarity here that connects us to our work in a very meaningful and caring way, the ‘Mount Sinai Queens Way.’”

This sense of caring for ourselves and our patients, families, clinical colleagues, care team members, and local and global communities is embedded into the culture of Mount Sinai Queens nursing via the professional practice model of Relationship-Centered Care.

“This is something I’m really proud of,” says Ms. Goldstein, “an example of which I call ‘Rising Stars.’ We have about two dozen-plus nurses who started their careers in non-nursing roles, such as housekeeping, dietary, or unit clerks. Each studied and worked their way through school and subsequently up through various positions to become a registered nurse. They are incredibly inspiring, and it is the gift that keeps on giving with a better than 90 percent retention rate.”

“It’s an understatement when we say that it takes a village to become a nurse,” she says. “The Rising Stars pathway speaks to how our staff assist the different members of our hospital community, how they help them rise. They surround these individuals with encouragement to get through school, to become a better version of themselves, enabling them to improve their livelihood. It’s just amazing. And it’s part of why we see staff enjoying nursing careers here that span 10, 20, 30, and 40 years.”

It is also this sense of teamwork and community that contributes to the hospital being Magnet® designated by the American Nurses Credentialing Center since 2014, the longest continuous designation of any hospital in Queens. Magnet designation is the highest available recognition of nursing excellence, achieved by only 10 percent of hospitals in the United States.

Mount Sinai recently announced that Mount Sinai Queens earned its third consecutive Magnet Recognition®. Click here to read more about the news. “I am so very proud of our nurses for this incredible achievement,” says Ms. Goldstein. “This redesignation is a tribute to our entire nursing staff and support teams, and it perfectly demonstrates their empowerment and commitment to nursing excellence.”

“Magnet® designation represents an interdisciplinary team supporting nurses to do their best work, to have optimum outcomes for patients, and to advance the delivery of care through purposeful process improvements,” says Ms. Goldstein. “The nursing leaders and their teams focus on a journey of continuous progress versus perfection. And our Magnet Champions and their respective unit practice councils bring voice to practice and drive optimum bedside care through their shared decision-making to truly create excellence together.”

Affecting the Broader Community

Among her many responsibilities, Ms. Goldstein is perhaps most passionate about her efforts to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, both within and beyond the hospital’s walls. “I firmly believe that everything we do needs to be threaded through this work,” says Ms. Goldstein. “Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are the foundation for everything we are trying to accomplish.”

In 2020, Ms. Goldstein experienced an “aha moment” after reading the book White Fragility, assigned reading for a Mount Sinai Health System C-suite meeting. “I was deeply upset by what I read. I had a true awakening. How could I have known so little about this issue? This is when I knew that I had to act. I had to be part of something bigger. I had to throw myself into places where I may have never seen myself and learn, learn, learn, and then take those learnings and pay it forward by doing something.” This was a very personal goal.

And there is plenty of work to be done. According to the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing, 63 percent of nurses surveyed said they personally experienced an act of racism in the workplace. More than 50 percent said that racism in the workplace has affected their professional well-being. “This is unacceptable, and I’m determined to do be a disruptor in that world,” says Ms. Goldstein.

And disrupt she has.

“I got involved in a space I knew nothing about. I just inserted myself, listened more, read more, joined more, raised my hand more. I don’t always know what I’m talking about, but I do know that I’m very intentional about listening, learning, and leveraging my role to make a difference.”

Two years ago, Ms. Goldstein and colleagues started a systemwide council called Nurses Against Racism (NAR). “Nurses comprise the largest segment of the hospital workforce and are at the bedside 24/7,” she says, “and while we know racist behaviors toward nurses are prevalent, these issues can easily get swept under the rug. We want to create safe space for nurses to share their stories, their pain, their success.” Today, each entity within Mount Sinai Health System sponsors a local branch of NAR—also known as an employee resource group—that offers a safe space to share, listen to one another, and have difficult conversations.

The work of NAR also prompted the formation of a subcommittee to advance equity through quality measurement. “Alongside colleagues from the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, we embarked on a deep analytical data dive, initially looking at systemwide hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPI). A detailed review revealed that patients with a preferred language other than Spanish or English were at a 40 percent higher risk for HAPI than English-speaking patients. A team is in the process of confirming that practices related to HAPIs are consistent hospital-wide and engaging front-line clinical nurses to develop tests of change for improvement.

Ms. Goldstein has also been active in promoting the Health System’s Policy 130, which expressly empowers and supports nurses and other staff to speak up and directly address acts of racism and discrimination.

In collaboration with the Office of Patient Experience, Office for Diversity and Inclusion, and NAR, the Health System developed a first-of-its-kind pocket card with tips to guide nursing staff through these challenging encounters. “It’s about immediate escalation to leadership for support, zero tolerance, and de-escalating skills. Nurses agree that seven or eight times out of 10, the approach will be effective,” she says, “and when nurses share a story of when they or a leader used the policy, and it worked, those are our victories. And when it doesn’t work, we talk about it, learn from the experience, and bring that knowledge forward to take action.”

She adds, “I am determined to help make a very real and lasting difference. We have to.”

Pathway to Leadership

Ms. Goldstein moved into a leadership position relatively early in her career, and has not looked back.

A health care veteran with more than 38 years of tertiary hospital and home health care services experience, Ms. Goldstein brings a legacy of leading and delivering innovative, influential, and celebrated programs and clinical services. She has been a catalyst for change with a proven ability to drive quality improvement, fiscal fitness, patient-centered care, and lead teams to achieve positive patient experiences.

As the nurse leader at Mount Sinai Queens, Ms. Goldstein leads a nursing staff of more than 400, overseeing nursing practice, education, quality, and safety of care. She is one of many critical players in maintaining the hospital’s Magnet® designation. She is also a key player in the development and implementation of hospital-wide performance improvement programs.

Prior to joining Mount Sinai Queens, Ms. Goldstein was a vice president of operations at the Visiting Nurse Service. She is a Fellow of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse program, and she holds a Master of Science in Health Services Management and a Master of Arts in Nursing Administration from New York University’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

Ms. Goldstein is a member of the American Organization of Nurse Executives and past president of the Greater New York Nassau Suffolk Organization for Nursing Leadership, the American Nurses Association, and a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine. In her spare time, you can find her in Aruba—her “happy place” for the last 20+ years—or with a pair of binoculars studying avian life near and far.

What You Need to Know About Participating in Autism Research at Mount Sinai


Clinical research is critical to advance our understanding of the causes of neurodevelopmental disorders and to develop effective treatments. The Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai maintains an active clinical research portfolio with a variety of recruiting studies at any given time.

Individuals on the autism spectrum as well as those with certain related genetic syndromes may be eligible to participate. The Seaver Center’s Rare Disease Program studies Phelan-McDermid syndrome, ADNP syndrome, FOXP1 syndrome, and DDX3X syndrome. Areas of focus include biomarker discovery, natural history studies, and clinical trials.

In addition to valuable contributions to science, the Seaver Center team works hard to ensure study participation is an enjoyable and low stress experience. When reflecting on their experiences, Seaver Autism Center families often recall a sense of warmth and trust.

One parent, Sakia, felt touched by how happy her son is whenever her family arrives for a visit: “As soon as he walks in, he’s running in, running into rooms, and it doesn’t bother anybody. Everyone is very welcoming.”

Paige Siper, PhD

In this Q&A, Paige Siper, PhD, Chief Psychologist of the Seaver Center, explains how research studies are conducted, the benefits of participating, and how you or someone you know can get involved.

What happens at a research study visit?

Research visits include standardized assessments administered by the clinical research team. Our multidisciplinary team spans psychiatry, psychology, and neurology, including a robust training program of psychology and psychiatry students and fellows. For idiopathic autism studies, gold-standard diagnostic testing, including the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd Edition (ADOS-2) is administered to determine eligibility. For studies in genetic syndromes, results from genetic testing are reviewed to confirm eligibility. Most studies include cognitive and adaptive assessments. Results from clinical assessments are summarized in a research report and include personalized recommendations provided to families free of charge. Many research studies include our biomarker battery which includes electroencephalography (EEG), eye tracking and, in certain studies, brain imaging using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

What are the benefits of participation?

In line with the Seaver Center’s mission, the goal of the clinical research program is to enhance the diagnosis of autism and related disorders, discover biological markers, and to develop and disseminate breakthrough treatments. Research participation is necessary to achieve these long-term objectives.

In addition to helping future generations through medical advancements, as mentioned above, research participants receive results from clinical testing in the form of a research report with recommendations at no cost. These reports may be used to access necessary services both within and outside the school setting.

Who can participate?

Every study has specified enrollment criteria and therefore eligibility varies by study. The Seaver Autism Center has a number of ongoing research studies and encourages you to reach out to the team to discuss studies you or your child may be eligible for.

How do you get involved?

To learn more, call the Seaver Autism Center at 212-241-0961 or email theseavercenter@mssm.edu and one of the clinical research coordinators will provide you with more information.

You may also stay in the know by signing up for the Seaver Autism Center newsletter and by following the Center on social media.

Computational Psychiatry Postdoctoral Fellow Earns NIH Director’s Early Independence Award

Cognitive scientist, computational neuroscientist, well-being researcher—it’s hard to choose only one label to describe Shawn Rhoads, PhD, who recently completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Center for Computational Psychiatry at the Mount Sinai Health System. But one title that sticks is recipient of the 2024 National Institute of Health (NIH) Director’s Early Independence Award. The prestigious award, part of the NIH’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research program, supports creative early-career scientists in launching independent research careers.

The award will support Dr. Rhoads as he launches his own lab at Mount Sinai, where he is transitioning to a faculty position as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. His research uses modern tools including neuroimaging and computational modeling to approach a modern—and growing—problem. “We’re in the midst of a loneliness epidemic,” Dr. Rhoads explains.

In 2023, the United States Surgeon General released a health advisory on social isolation, citing recent research that found half of U.S. adults report loneliness. Such social disconnection has been linked to a host of negative outcomes, including a greater risk of heart disease, dementia, depression, and early death.

Dr. Rhoads’s research aims to understand the cognitive and neural processes that drive social decision-making—work that could lead to interventions that boost social connection and improve well-being.

A New Way to Study Loneliness  

As an undergrad at the University of Southern California, Dr. Rhoads double majored in psychology and physics. “I was interested in physics as a potential research path, but it was missing that human element,” he says. Fortunately, he found the perfect marriage of his interests and talents in cognitive science and computational modeling. He went on to earn a PhD in the Laboratory on Social and Affective Neuroscience at Georgetown University.

In 2022, he joined Mount Sinai as a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Xiaosi Gu, PhD, Director of the Center for Computational Psychiatry at the Mount Sinai Health System, and Associate Professor of Psychiatry, and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. It was a perfect fit. “Mount Sinai is one of the only places in the country with an integrated center using computational methods to better understand mental health,” he says.

Working with Dr. Gu, Dr. Rhoads set about designing a project to learn more about loneliness. One response to feeling lonely is to experience a craving or desire for social interaction. “We often think of craving as a negative thing, as in addiction,” he says. “But in this case, craving can be positive if it motivates us to go out into the world to seek connection.”

Some of Dr. Gu’s previous work explored craving in substance use disorders. Now, she and Dr. Rhoads are applying a similar framework to understand how social craving arises, and what happens when that process goes awry. Their model suggests that social craving changes in response to social cues, such as seeing a group of people having fun together. Such social cravings, they predict, are also influenced by expectations and experiences. What happens, for instance, if someone goes to a party expecting a fulfilling social interaction, but doesn’t end up connecting with anyone?

With support from the NIH award, he will use functional brain imaging to understand what happens in people’s brains when they experience social cravings and engage in social interactions. Ultimately, Dr. Rhoads hopes to determine whether those patterns of neural activity can predict negative mental health outcomes such as depression or anxiety.

Seeing Social Decision Making in Real Time

In another line of research, Dr. Rhoads is looking into the brain to see social decision-making in action. In collaboration with researchers, including Ignacio Saez, PhD, Associate Professor of Neuroscience, Neurosurgery, and Neurology, Icahn Mount Sinai, and leader of the invasive electrophysiology core at the Nash Family Center for Advanced Circuit Therapeutics at Mount Sinai, he is working with patients hospitalized while receiving 24/7 intracranial direct brain monitoring as part of their epilepsy treatment.

Dr. Rhoads designed a “gamified” cognitive task for two patients to play together. Each player can earn points working independently, but they have a better chance of high scores if they team up to work with one another. “In order to play together, you need to engage in higher-order social cognitive processes,” he says. For instance, the players have to think multiple steps into the future—not only about their own actions, but also about what they think their partner might do. “The player’s choices are contingent upon their beliefs about what the other person’s strategy is. If I go right, for example, I might assume you’ll go left,” he says.

This ability to consider another person’s mental state is known as theory of mind. By taking direct brain recordings while patients play the game, Dr. Rhoads and his colleagues can apply computational models to make predictions about the players’ beliefs and actions, and see how those predictions play out in the form of brain activity. By collecting brain recordings from two individuals as they interact, the researchers can see social learning and social decision-making in real time. “This is a dynamic system, with changing information as the two players adapt and make choices,” he says.

The ability to imagine another person’s thoughts and perspectives can be helpful, such as when two people are collaborating. But it can also go awry. A person with social anxiety, for example, might ruminate on what they think another person is thinking about them. A person with psychosis might have paranoia about other people being out to get them. “The idea is that we can adapt this model to examine when these cognitive processes can be maladaptive,” Dr. Rhoads says.

A Bright Future for Computational Psychiatry

Though Dr. Rhoads is launching his independent research career, he’s not interested in going it alone. He is eager to collaborate across disciplines, bringing together diverse tools and perspectives to answer questions with implications for individuals and for society.

Meanwhile, he hopes to make computational research accessible to more people. He’s co-director of the Summer Program in Computational Psychiatry Education (SPICE), a research program for high school and college students offered by the Center for Computational Psychiatry. He’s also helping to organize a computational psychiatry workshop for trainees of all levels.

“Computational psychiatry can seem like a daunting field to get into. But we need a diverse and well-represented future of researchers,” he says. “Making these tools more accessible will help us answer some big questions about social behavior and well-being.”

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