Current Degree in progress: Ph.D.
Thesis Title: Combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder: Structural and functional brain changes, cognitive performance, and treatment outcome.
Research Interests: I am predominantly interested in the neurobiology of anxiety and depressive disorders and how brain changes relate to symptom profiles observed in clinical settings. During my M.Sc., I utilized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy with spectral editing methods to examine in vivo concentrations of various brain neurochemicals (i.e., GABA, glutamate, myoinositol and N-acetylaspartate) in the medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex of patients with generalized social anxiety disorder with and without comorbid major depression. During my doctoral studies I plan to: 1) determine if volumetric changes in stress-affected brain regions (e.g., the hippocampus, amygdala, and anterior cingulate cortex) are associated with functional brain activation patterns during tasks known to elicit activity of these areas; and 2) assess if neurobiological profiles predict cognitive performance and treatment response, in those with PTSD from military service.
Supervisor: Dr. Nicholas Coupland
Awards: December 2010 Graduate Citizenship Award
March, 2010 Department of Psychiatry Travel Award
June, 2009 Flor-Henry Lecture Scholarship
March, 2009 Government of Alberta Graduate Student Scholarship
September, 2008 Walter H Johns Graduate Fellowship
September, 2008 Frederick Banting and Charles Best CGS Master's Award
January, 2008 AHFMR/AMHB Studentship in Mental Health Research
Publications:
Grills, R.D. (2011). Brain neurochemicals in generalized social anxiety disorder: a proton magnetic resonance study. Master of Science thesis submitted to the University of Alberta.
Grills, R.D. (2006). Theta activity in the right parietal lobe during rapid eye movement sleep facilitates memory for arousing pictures. Undergraduate thesis submitted to Trent University.
Grills, R. (2007). Face-specific brain mechanisms: Event-related potential (ERP) evidence suggesting the degree of activation is modulated by experimental features. Journal of Undergraduate Studies at Trent, 1, 69-73.
Peglar, D., Marchand, K., Grills, R. & Roberts, K. (2007). An empirical assessment of the proposed Trent university course faculty evaluation questionnaire. Journal of Undergraduate Studies at Trent, 1, 30-35.