Investigator Lurie Center for Autism, Mass General Research Institute

Director of the Social and Cognitive Research Division Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital

Postdoctoral fellow Friedman Brain Institute at Mount Sinai

Ph.D. in Neuroscience McGill University

Master's degree in Neuroscience University of Seville

Psychology National University of Colombia - Campus Bogotá

acute stress; anxiety; autism spectrum disorder; depression; discovery and validation of early detection biomarkers; epigenetics; neurodevelopment

Dr. Angélica Torres-Berrío is the Director of the Social and Cognitive Research Division of the Lurie Center for Autism at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Principal Investigator in the Department of Pediatrics. Her research focuses on the epigenetic mechanisms underlying early-onset neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions, including autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety, as well as on understanding how stress in early life contributes as a critical risk factor, leading to lasting effects on cognitive function. She is also interested in identifying developmental biomarkers that can be used to prevent and treat these psychopathologies. To this end, Dr. Torres-Berrío utilizes state-of-the-art sequencing techniques, viral-mediated approaches, and novel behavioral paradigms to unravel the role of specific stress-induced “chromatin scars” using mouse models, and translational strategies. In addition to her scientific interests, Dr. Torres-Berrío's ambition is to establish a diverse and inclusive network of collaborators and promote neuroscience research among underrepresented minorities. Indeed, she is the Chief Ambassador of the Colombian Neurodiaspora and collaborates with international organizations such as IBRO, the ALBA Network, the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology (CCNP), and the Colombian College of Neuroscience (COLNE). She is also a member of the advisory committee of the STEM sin Fronteras Foundation, (STEM without borders), an organization that seeks to provide young students of rural areas in Colombia with opportunities for a better future in science.