Research & Publications
Contributing to the advancement of mental health treatment through neuroimaging research and evidence-based practice
Pallidum volume as a predictor for the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and psycho-education in unmedicated patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder
Authors: Chen Zhang, Xiaochen Zhang, Wenqing Li, Tianran Zhang, Zongfeng Zhang, Lu Lu, Fabrizio Didonna, Qing Fan
Journal: Comprehensive Psychiatry, 131, 152462
Presented at: Poster presentation at the 21st National Psychiatry Conference of the Chinese Medical Association and 17th National Congress of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Suzhou, China, September 2023
Default mode network resting-state functional connectivity predicts response to medication and psychotherapy in obsessive-compulsive disorder
Authors: Wenqing Li, Chen Zhang, Zongfeng Zhang, Rui Gao, Yongjun Chen, Xuan Cao, Qing Fan
Presented at: Oral presentation at the 22nd National Psychiatry Conference of the Chinese Medical Association, Shenyang, China, September 2024; poster presentation at CSNP, Ningbo, China, June 2024
Research & Program Evaluation Experience
Program evaluation and research roles arranged as a growing vine, connecting care-continuity, aging services, mood-disorder research, and neuroimaging work.
Post-IOP Program Evaluation and MSW Thesis
Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry
Supervisor: Prof. Jamie Chang
- Designed and proposed a quasi-experimental evaluation of the post-IOP 'IOP-Grad Group,' a continuity-oriented support group for adults with severe mental illness.
- Aimed at examining whether participation was associated with reduced psychiatric emergency visits, rehospitalization, and inpatient admissions within six months after program completion.
- Aimed at integrating quantitative outcomes with qualitative patient and provider perspectives and translating findings into recommendations for program improvement, health policy, and adult psychiatric services.
Research Assistant, Co-op Development for Asian American IHSS
Julian's Lab, UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare
Supervisor: Prof. Julian Chun-Chung Chow
- Contributed to a worker-cooperative development project addressing gaps in quality home care for low-income Asian American older adults.
- Researched legal and regulatory frameworks, benchmarked comparable home-care co-op models, and helped develop a platform supporting IHSS provider training and fair labor advocacy.
- Prepared semi-structured interviews with older adult community members to bring client and community voices into program design.
Research Assistant
CALM Program, Department of Psychology, UC Berkeley
Supervisor: Prof. Sheri L. Johnson
- Contributed to a meta-analysis on mood disorders by developing database-specific search strings across PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and PsycINFO and supporting literature screening.
- Proposed and implemented an R-based workflow to automate data visualization and feedback tracking.
- Supported participant recruitment through outreach to DBSA and NAMI chapters.
Research Assistant
Fan Lab, Shanghai Mental Health Center
Supervisor: Prof. Qing Fan
- Contributed to two neuroimaging projects identifying predictive biomarkers of treatment outcomes in OCD.
- Applied structural MRI to predict MBCT and psychoeducation effectiveness and supported resting-state fMRI work comparing treatment-specific biomarkers for group CBT versus medication.
- Developed skills in R, SPSS, MATLAB, statistical modeling, data visualization, academic writing, and conference presentation.
Neuroimaging & Biomarkers
Using structural MRI and resting-state fMRI to identify predictive biomarkers of treatment outcomes in OCD patients
Precision Medicine
Extending the Precision Medicine paradigm to psychology and psychiatry through treatment-specific biomarker identification
Cultural Adaptation & Accessibility
Investigating culturally responsive interventions and barriers to mental health care for underserved populations, including refugees and immigrants
Patient-Centered Approach
Examining treatment effectiveness from clients' perspectives, focusing on quality of life, functional improvement, and subjective well-being beyond symptom reduction