Jonathan Lifshitz named to NIH neurological study section

Jonathan Lifshitz, PhD, a research professor of psychiatry at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, was appointed a member of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke’s Neurological Sciences and Disorders study section initial review group at the National Institutes of Health.

“Serving as a standing member of the study section review group allows members to advocate for science with the potential to make a lasting impact,” said Lifshitz. “The section typically reviews translational awards with a specific tangible objective. The review group evaluates the generalizable impact of the proposed work rather than innovation.”

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In this role, Lifshitz will review applications submitted to NIH, make recommendations on the applications to the appropriate NIH national advisory council or board and survey the status of research in the applicant’s respective fields of science. His term runs through June 2028. It will be his second time serving on the review panel.

Lifshitz has an extensive background in neuroscience, with continuous training in experimental models of traumatic brain injury and their clinical applications. He has more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. He joined the college in 2012 and leads the Neurotrauma and Social Impact research team as a joint venture between the College of Medicine – Phoenix and the Phoenix VA Health Care System, where he is also a research health scientist.

The Neurotrauma and Social Impact research team has a variety of active projects. They are studying the circuit plasticity required for cognitive rehabilitation after traumatic brain injury while translating rehabilitation strategies into virtual reality. They are also developing a molecular toolbox for precise identification of brain microglia in disease as well as the use of the fecal microbiome to track disease and therapeutic processes. Another project investigates the consequences of traumatic brain injury during pregnancy on neurodevelopment.

“My work is primarily allocated toward research and the small group mentoring that goes along with training emerging scientists,” Lifshitz said. “I am also co-block director for the musculoskeletal neuroscience block for first-year medical students.”

An invitational letter sent by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Director Walter Koroshetz, MD, said Lifshitz was selected for the study section because of his demonstrated competence and achievement in his scientific discipline, as evidenced by the quality of his research accomplishments, publications in scientific journals and other significant scientific activities, achievements and honors.

In his spare time, Lifshitz is also an inventor. He created the “Piggyback Rider,” a standing-child carrier, with his two brothers.

“My invention of the Piggyback Rider gave me the know-how to understand marketing and commercialization, which I use to appreciate the commercialization strategies in the submitted applications,” he said.