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Women in Medicine: Natalie Rasgon, MD, PhD

During September, we proudly feature members of our department for Women in Medicine Month!

Why did you pursue a career in medicine?

I am a third generation MD and was exposed to medicine since childhood. I also loved molecular biology and saw my path in biomedical sciences
.

What is your work focused on?

I have been involved in longitudinal placebo-controlled neuroendocrine studies for nearly two decades, and have been involved in neuroendocrine and brain imaging studies of estrogen effects on depressed menopausal women for the last eight years. I focus on the interaction between reproductive hormones and brain function. Research efforts of my lab are concentrated in two areas:

  1. the reproductive endocrine status of women with affective disorders, and 
  2. the neurobiology of the effects of hormone therapy in aging women
     

Currently, we are studying the relationship between insulin resistance (IR) and accelerated cognitive aging. There are known biomarkers associated with premature and accelerated brain aging but these mechanisms are still not fully understood. IR has been known to change with age and affect cognition for adults as well as patients with affective disorders. Our innovative longitudinal design will help us understand the relationship between cognitive performance and neural responses and its associated biomarkers over the span of 25 years across the spectrum of metabolic dysfunction without a deep investment into time-consuming longitudinal observation. We are interested to see if IR can predict cognitive decline in individuals younger than age 50 without overt mental illness by studying significant changes in cognition and neural function.

What is the most fulfilling part of your work?

Being able to mentor students and create innovation within mood disorder research.

What advice would you give yourself when you started in the field, knowing what you know now?

Follow your dream and do your best always.

Natalie Rasgon, MD, PhD

Women in Medicine

We asked some of the #StanfordWIM in our department to share their stories - why they pursued a career in medicine, what their work focuses on, what the most fulfilling parts of their work are, and what advice they would give themselves when they started in the field. Hear what they have to say!