Bio
Igor D. Bandeira, M.D., Ph.D., is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. With extensive experience in interventional psychiatry, Dr. Bandeira has led multiple clinical trials focused on noninvasive brain stimulation and rapid-acting antidepressants for psychiatric disorders in children, adolescents, and adults. He received the prestigious Professor Alfredo Thomé de Britto Award in recognition of his exceptional research achievements during his physician-scientist training at the Federal University of Bahia in Salvador, Brazil.
As part of his medical training, Dr. Bandeira also studied at the University of Sydney (Australia) on a Science Without Borders Scholarship, where he enhanced his clinical and research skills at the university’s Brain and Mind Centre. Upon returning to Brazil, he gained valuable clinical experience as an attending physician with the Brazilian Ministry of Health and worked on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At Stanford, working with Dr. Nolan R. Williams, Dr. Bandeira led the Wellcome LEAP trial on accelerated intermittent theta-burst stimulation (Stanford Neuromodulation Therapy) to treat anhedonic depression. Alongside Dr. Alan F. Schatzberg, he is co-leading a trial supported by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, evaluating the efficacy and safety of buprenorphine in sustaining the antisuicidal and antidepressant effects of ketamine. His work centers on developing personalized therapeutics for treatment-resistant depression, bipolar depression, and suicidal behavior.
Looking ahead, Dr. Bandeira plans to apply for psychiatry residency programs in the United States to advance his career in academic psychiatry and clinical research.