Targeting Foundry@ Northwestern Psychiatric Neurotech Labs

Brain stimulation research at Northwestern

Brain imaging for
targeted brain stimulation.

We use brain imaging to identify targets for psychiatric treatment and test them with brain stimulation. Our aim is to bring neuroscience into everyday mental health care.

Explore our research Work with us
Functional MRIBrain stimulationClinical trials

01 / Research

How we choose
and test targets.

Psychiatric symptoms can involve different brain circuits, even within the same diagnosis. We study those circuits to understand where to stimulate, how to reach the target, and whether targeting it improves treatment outcomes.

Neuroimaging and neuroinformatics

We use functional MRI, causal brain network mapping, and precision imaging to identify targets for brain stimulation. We trace connections from brain regions involved in symptoms to cortical sites that can be reached with stimulation.

Functional connectivity · Causal network mapping · Targeting methods

Clinical trials

We test imaging-guided brain stimulation, primarily transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and compare it with conventional targeting. Our work spans depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, PTSD, psychosis, addiction, and other conditions.

MRI-guided TMS · Treatment outcomes · Multiple psychiatric conditions
Research profile at Northwestern

02 / People

The people
behind the work.

Our group works across neuroimaging, computational methods, experimental psychology, and clinical psychiatry, with teams in Chicago and Boston.

Chicago, Boston, and alumni ↗

Shan Siddiqi

Group lead

Shan Siddiqi, MD

Stephen M. Stahl Associate Professor of Psychiatry

Scientific Director, Dauten Bipolar Center of Excellence

Faculty profile

03 / Selected publications

Selected papers.

More on PubMed
Figure 5: comparison of lesion, TMS, and DBS connectivity maps.

Nature Reviews Neuroscience · 2022

Causal mapping of human brain function

Siddiqi SH, Kording KP, Parvizi J, Fox MD

 Anxiety circuit maps from Figure 2 of the study’s 2024 preprint.

American Journal of Psychiatry · 2026

Convergent Network Localization of Brain Stimulation Targets for Trait Anxiety

Siddiqi SH et al.

 Figure 2: brain stimulation targets and their relative effects on anxiety and depression.

Molecular Psychiatry · 2026

Circuit-targeted modulation of anxiety symptoms in individuals with major depression: A randomized head-to-head TMS trial

Taylor JJ et al.

 Depression circuit maps from the original study.

Nature Human Behaviour · 2021

Brain stimulation and brain lesions converge on common causal circuits in neuropsychiatric disease

Siddiqi SH et al.

 Figure 2: the imaging-based targeting workflow for the depression circuit.

JAMA Psychiatry · 2026

Connectivity- vs Scalp-Based Targeting of Accelerated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Depression: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Taylor JJ et al.

 Lesions and their shared connections in the psychosis study.

JAMA Psychiatry · 2025

Mapping Lesions That Cause Psychosis to a Human Brain Circuit and Proposed Stimulation Target

Pines AR et al.

 Brain circuit figure from the PTSD study.

Nature Neuroscience · 2024

A potential target for noninvasive neuromodulation of PTSD symptoms derived from focal brain lesions in veterans

Siddiqi SH et al.

Anxiety thumbnail: Figure 2 from Siddiqi et al., 2024 preprint (CC BY 4.0).

04 / Data & code

Data and code.

Brain maps, analysis methods, and source code from our research. We add resources as the work develops.

Browse data and codeBrain maps, figures, analysis methods, and source codeResearch in the newsInterviews, articles, and commentariesExplore the lab archiveTeam, press, trials, and earlier opportunities

05 / Join the lab

Join the group.

We welcome people interested in neuroimaging, data science, experimental psychology, and clinical research. We value careful methods, open discussion, and working together to improve psychiatric treatment. Get in touch about research opportunities or collaborations at Northwestern.

Get in touch Read the lab guide

Research opportunities and collaboration

suman.premkumar@northwestern.edu

Tell us about your background, research interests, and what you would like to work on.

Northwestern University
Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, Illinois