Principal Investigator

Hector Arciniega, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
New York University Grossman School of Medicine

Email
|
Google Scholar
|
PubMed
|
X
|
CV

Dr. Hector Arciniega is a cognitive neuroscientist in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at New York University Grossman School of Medicine (NYU-GSoM).

His multifaceted research program is underscored by three pivotal areas of inquiry: 1) Understanding the long-term consequences of repetitive head impacts in contact collision sport athletes, 2) Understanding how social determinants of health and health disparities contribute to head injury incidence, recovery, and outcomes, and 3) Understanding the consequences of head injuries during and after pregnancy to both the parent and fetus. At the core of his research program lies the application of state-of-the-art neuroimaging techniques, a dynamic cornerstone that empowers him to gain comprehensive insights into the intricate repercussions of head injuries.

Before joining the faculty at NYU-GSoM, Dr. Arciniega completed his postdoctoral work under the mentorship of Dr. Martha Shenton and Dr. Sylvain Bouix in the Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory at Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Here, his research program used a combination of behavioral, neuropsychological, neuropsychiatric, and neuroimaging (structural, diffusion, and functional) to understand the long-term consequences of repetitive head impacts in former American football players. Before this, Dr. Arciniega received his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in neuroscience from the University of Nevada, Reno under the mentorship of Dr. Marian Berryhill. During his time as a graduate student, his research focused on studying working memory deficits in older adults and those with a history of concussions. Understanding how and why these basic executive functions decline in these individuals was the focus of his research program. Here, he gained proficiency in a variety of methods including non-invasive neurostimulation techniques, electroencephalography (EEG), and basic scientific approaches for measuring human behavior.

Dr. Arciniega’s exceptional scientific contributions have earned him numerous accolades and prestigious grant funding, solidifying his standing as a distinguished researcher. His noteworthy achievements include: the prestigious NIH/NINDS Diversity Specialized Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Advancement in Neuroscience (D-SPAN) Award (F99/K00), the NIH/NIMHD Loan Repayment Program (including an original and renewal application!), the Rainwater Charitable Foundation-Tau Leadership Award, Harvard’s Mind Brain Behavior Young Investigator Award, recognized as a Black Men’s Brain Health Emerging Scholars Fellow, a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Postdoctoral Diversity Enrichment Program Award, and named the Henry Grass Rising Star in Neuroscience Award in 2023 given by the Grass Foundation.

Academic Appointments

2023 - Present
New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
Assistant Professor
2020 - 2023
Harvard Medical School / Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Department of Psychiatry - Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Primary Advisors: Prof. Martha Shenton and Prof. Sylvain Bouix

Education

2022 - 2023
Harvard University Extension School

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Leadership Graduate Certificate

2015 - 2020
University of Nevada, Reno

Department of Psychology- Memory and Brain Laboratory
Ph.D., Neuroscience
Dissertation: Echoes of concussion: Behavioral and neural changes after injury.
Primary Advisor: Prof. Marian Berryhill

2010 - 2015
University of Nevada, Reno

B.S. Neuroscience, Minor in Psychology, and Minor/Certificate in Gerontology

Grant Support: Past, Current, and Pending

Pending

NIH Director's New Innovator Award (DP2): ATHLETE: Advanced Tracking of Head-injury Linked Encephalopathy Through Evaluation
Grant ID: N/A
PI: Dr. Hector Arciniega

Pending

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)- Freeman A. Hrabowski Scholars: From Human to Animals: Creating a Model of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
Grant ID: N/A
PI: Dr. Hector Arciniega

Pending

NINDS/NIMH: Exploratory Neuroscience Research Grant R21: Understanding the neuroanatomical abnormalities of repetitive head impacts
Grant ID: NS140565
PI: Dr. Hector Arciniega

2020-2023

NIH/ NINDS: Blueprint Diversity Specialized Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Advancement in Neuroscience (D-SPAN) Award K00: Understanding the Cognitive and Neural Consequences of Repetitive Head Impacts.
Grant ID: K00NS113419
PI: Dr. Hector Arciniega, Mentors: Prof. Martha Shenton and Prof. Sylvain Bouix

2019-2020

NIH/NINDS Blueprint Diversity Specialized Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Advancement in Neuroscience (D-SPAN) Award F99: Understanding the Cognitive and Neural Deficits Associated with mTBI: A Resting-State Study.
Grant ID: F99NS113419
PI: Hector Arciniega, Mentors: Prof. Marian E. Berryhill & Prof. Gideon Caplovitz

2016-2017

Graduate Student Association Research Grant Program: Compensation Restoration: How does tDCS Enhance Visual Working Memory?
PI: Hector Arciniega, Mentor: Prof. Marian E. Berryhill

Academic Awards and Honors

2023
NIH/NIMHD - Loan Repayment Program for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds - Renewal Application
2023
Henry Grass, M.D. Rising Stars in Neuroscience Award
2022
Black Men’s Brain Health - Emerging Scholars Fellowship Program
2022
Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists - Invited Judge
2022
Broadening the Representation of Academic Investigators in NeuroScience (BRAINS) Program - Fellow
2022
Burroughs Wellcome Fund - Postdoctoral Diversity Enrichment Program
2021
Harvard’s Mind Brain Behavior Young Investigator Award
2021
Rainwater Charitable Foundation - Tau Leadership Fellows Award
2021
NIH/NIMHD - Loan Repayment Program for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds
2021
Neuroscience Scholars Program - Associate
2019
1st Place, GSA Paper Competition - Science
2019
Milton Glick Memorial Scholarship
2019
Regents’ Scholar Award
2019
Graduate Student Association Travel Award
2018
Solso Outstanding Achievement Scholarship
2018
Graduate Student Association Travel Award
2017
Sanford Center for Aging Scholarship
2017
Graduate Student Association Travel Award
2016
MGH/Harvard/MIT: Martinos Center fNIRS Course - PI: Dr. David Boas
2016
Henry & Edith Albert Scholarship
2016
UC Davis ERP Boot Camp - PI: Dr. Steven Luck
2016
Graduate Student Association Travel Award
2015
Electrical Geodesics Inc. (EGI) HD-EEG Training
2014
Undergraduate Research Fellowship
2013
General Undergraduate Research Award
2010
Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship

Research Talks

2024

Common Ground
NYU Grossman School of Medicine

2024

11th Annual Concussion Conference
NYU Concussion Center- CME Lecture

2023

Emerging Leaders in Neuroscience
Brain and Mind Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medicine

2023

D-SPAN Panel - Transitioning to Faculty - Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting

2023

European Neurotrauma Organization - Munich, Germany (symposium speaker)

2023

DIAGNOSE CTE Consortium - Annual Investigator Meeting
Flagstaff, AZ

2023

Laboratory of Dr. Gerald Voelbel
New York University - Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development - Department of Occupational Therapy

2023

Rusk Rehabilitation Day - 75th Anniversary Celebration
New York University Grossman School of Medicine

2023

Grass Foundation - Rising Star in Neuroscience Presentation
Marine Biology Laboratories

2023

NIH/NINDS DSPAN BrainTrust

2023

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
New York University Grossman School of Medicine

2022

Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena - Lehrstuhls für Klinische Psychologie

2022

University of Nevada, Reno - Department of Psychology

2022

International Neurotrauma Conference - Berlin, Germany (symposium speaker)

2022

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center - DIAGNOSE CTE Consortium
Boston University School of Medicine - Boston, MA

2021

Stuart T. Hauser Research Training Program in Biological and Social Psychiatry
Judge Baker Children’s Center/ Harvard Medical School

2021

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center - DIAGNOSE CTE Consortium
Boston University School of Medicine - Boston, MA

2021

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center - DIAGNOSE CTE Consortium
Boston University School of Medicine - Boston, MA

2021

Stuart T. Hauser Research Training Program in Biological and Social Psychiatry
Judge Baker Children’s Center/ Harvard Medical School

2020

University of Nevada, Reno - Department of Psychology

2019

Laboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation
Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

2019

University of Nevada, Reno - Department of Psychology

2018

University of Nevada, Reno - Department of Psychology

2018

Douglas County School District, Northern Nevada

2016

University of Nevada, Reno - Department of Psychology

2016

Douglas County School District, Northern Nevada

2016

Douglas County School District, Northern Nevada

Media Coverage

2018

Nevada Today
Evidence Shows Electrical Stimulation Can Improve Low Working Memory

2014

Live Science
Concussions and Cognitive Skills: What’s the impact?

Teaching Experience

2021
University of Nevada- Instructor- Human Memory (Winter)
2020
University of Nevada- Instructor- Introduction to Psychology (Fall)
2020
University of Nevada- Instructor- Human Memory (Summer)
2019
University of Nevada- Instructor- Introduction to Psychology (Summer)
2019
University of Nevada- Instructor- Human Memory (Fall)
2019
University of Nevada- Teaching Assistant - Human Memory
2018
University of Nevada- Instructor- Human Memory (Fall)
2018
University of Nevada- Instructor- Introduction to Psychology (Summer)
2018
University of Nevada- Teaching Assistant- Cognitive Psychology
2018
University of Nevada- Instructor- Introduction to Psychology (Winter)
2017
University of Nevada- Instructor- Introduction to Psychology (Fall)
2016
University of Nevada- Teaching Assistant - Human Memory
2016
University of Nevada- Teaching Assistant- Introduction to Psychology

Professional Affiliations

National Neurotrauma Society
Tau Global Initiative
Society for Neuroscience
Cognitive Neuroscience Society
International Neurotrauma Society
European Neurotrauma Organization
Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)

Ad Hoc Reviewing

Neuroinformatics
Neurology
Frontiers Journals
Neuropsychologia
Brain
Journal of Integrative Neuroscience
Scientific Reports

Mentoring

2024-Present
Ocean Pruden*: New York University, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
2024-Present
Manuel Estrada: New York University, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
2024-Present
Nuha Syed: NYU Grossman School of Medicine
2024-Present
Laura Phillips: NYU Grossman School of Medicine
2024-Present
Anya Mirmajlesi: NYU Langone Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
2024-Present
Dr. Carina Heller: NYU Langone Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
2023-Present
Dr. Margaret Martinez: NYU Langone Health
2022-2023
Nicholas Kim: Brigham and Women’s Hospital
2022
Bhavana Honavalli: Harvard University
2021-2023
Omar John: Brigham and Women’s Hospital
2021
Leonard Jung: Brigham and Women’s Hospital
2021
Javier Marquis-Lopez: Brigham and Women’s Hospital
2021-2022
Arushi Chamaria: Harvard University
2018-2020
Joseph Castellanos*+: University of Nevada
2017-2020
Alexandrea Kilgore-Gomez*+: University of Nevada
2016-2017
Jaclyn McBride*: University of Nevada
2015-2018
Carlos Carrasco*: University of Nevada
*Recipient of undergraduate research award, + Honors project mentee