Hamdi Eryilmaz

Hamdi Eryilmaz is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, where he has been involved in cognitive neuroscience research since joining the Brain Genomics Laboratory in 2013. He became an instructor at Harvard Medical School in 2018.23

Education and Background

Eryilmaz holds a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and a master's degree in Biomedical Engineering from Turkey. He completed his PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, where his research focused on the effects of emotions on brain activity, particularly using fMRI techniques.23 Following his doctoral studies, he underwent postdoctoral training with Randy Buckner at Harvard University, further specializing in fMRI signal processing and functional connectivity.2

Research Focus

Dr. Eryilmaz's research primarily investigates the neural correlates of working memory and reinforcement learning deficits, especially in patients with schizophrenia. He has contributed to several significant studies, including those examining the impact of prenatal folic acid exposure on brain development and its potential protective effects against psychosis.24 His work has been published in various high-impact journals, underscoring his contributions to understanding psychiatric conditions through neuroimaging techniques.1

Notable Contributions

Some of his key publications include:

• Research on how transient emotions affect functional connectivity in the brain.
• Studies on dopamine signaling and its role in working memory dynamics.
• Investigations into how prenatal factors can influence later mental health outcomes.12

Eryilmaz continues to be an active researcher and educator, contributing to advancements in psychiatric neuroimaging and cognitive neuroscience.