JAVIERA OYARZUN
POST-DOCTORAL FELLOW
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY & CENTER FOR NEUROSCIENCE
UNIVERSITY OF BARCELONA, SPAIN
PHD IN PSYCHOLOGY, 2017
UNIVERSITY OF BARCELONA, SPAIN
MASTER IN RESEARCH IN BEHAVIOR AND COGNITION, 2011
PONTIFICAL CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF CHILE, CHILE
BS IN BIOLOGY, 2008
EMAIL: JOYARZUN@FAS.HARVARD.EDU CV
RESEARCH
Variability is a ubiquitous feature of all living organisms. In my research, we embrace individual differences to understand the mechanisms that pull individuals to extreme phenotypes from resilience to psychopathology. My research focuses on the role of the gut microbiome on key cognitive and emotional brain functions that support the development of anxiety and mood disorders. I explore the existence of specific microbial communities that may fuel and maintain resilient/anxious- phenotypes in humans.
PUBLICATIONS
Kredlow, A.M., Oyarzún, J.P., Fan H, Meksin R, Hirst W, & Phelps E.A. (2023). Emotion language use in narratives of the 9/11 attacks predicts long-term memory. Emotion. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001287
Oyarzún J.P., Kuntz, T. M., Stussi, Y., Karaman, O. T., Vranos, S., Callaghan, B. L., Huttenhower, C., LeDoux, J. E., & Phelps, E. A. (2022). Human threat learning is associated with gut microbiota composition. PNAS nexus, 1(5), pgac271. https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac271
Oyarzún JP, Càmara E, Kouider S, Fuentemilla L, de Diego-Balaguer R (2018). Implicit but not explicit extinction to threat conditioned stimulus prevents spontaneous recovery of threat-potentiated startle responses in humans. Brain and Behavior. Dec 4:e01157. doi: 10.1002/brb3.1157.
Oyarzún J.P., Moris J., Luque D., de Diego-Balaguer R., Fuentemilla L. (2017). Target memory reactivation during sleep adaptively promotes the strengthening or weakening of overlapping memories. Journal of Neuroscience 3537-16.
Oyarzún J.P., Packard P.A., de Diego-Balaguer R., Fuentemilla L. (2016). Motivated encoding selectively enhances memory for future inconsequential semantically-related events. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. 133, pp. 1–6.
Oyarzún J.P. and Packard P.A. (2012). Stress-induced gist-based memory processing: a possible explanation for overgeneralization of fear in posttraumatic stress disorder. The Journal of Neuroscience. 32 - 29, pp. 9771 - 9772.
Oyarzún J.P., Lopez-Barroso D., Fuentemilla L., Cucurell D., Pedraza C., Rodriguez-Fornells A., de Diego-Balaguer R. (2012). Updating fearful memories with extinction training during reconsolidation: a human study using auditory aversive stimuli. PLoS One. 7 – 6.
Quirici V., Castro R.A., Oyarzún J., Ebensperger L.A. (2008). Female degus (Octodon degus) monitor their environment while foraging socially. Animal Cognition. 11 - 3, pp. 441 - 448.
INVITED TALKS AND PRESENTATIONS:
2023. The gut microbiome composition is associated with learning and memory. Mind Brain Behavior Junior Symposium. Harvard University.
2022. The gut microbiota in human learning and memory. Microbiome Epidemiology Working Group (MEWG), The Harvard Chan Microbiome in Public Health Center.
2022. Threat Learning and memory performance are associated with the gut microbiota in healthy humans. gNeuro forum. Harvard Brain Science Initiative and Harvard Digestive Disease Center.
2021. Inter-individual Differences in Threat Learning are Associated with Gut Microbiota Composition. Reading Emotions Symposium: Gut Brain and Affect.
2020. Anxiety and the Gut Microbiota. Translational Research in Progress seminars. Clinical and Translational Science Institute. NYU Langone's Department of Medicine
2014. Target memory reactivation during sleep promotes strengthening of partially overlapped memories. International Workshop on Learning and Memory Consolidation, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.
2012. Updating fearful memories with extinction training during reconsolidation. Institut de Neurociències de la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
2012. Reconsolidation: Re-writing our memories. Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addictions, Hospital del Mar, Parc de Salut MAR, Barcelona, Spain. Barcelona, Spain
POSTERS PRESENTATIONS:
Oyarzún J. P, Kuntz T. M, Huttenhower C, LeDoux J.E, Phelps E.A. (2023) Absence of association between gut microbiota composition and individual cortisol responses to physical stress in healthy humans. Society for Neuroscience, Washington DC, November 11th-25th, 2023.
Beech, A., Oyarzun, J. P., Phelps, E., & Kredlow, M. A. (2023) Creating a Language Based-Model of Depression and Anxiety Severity During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Society for Affective Science, Long Beach, CA. March 30 – April 1, 2023.
Oyarzún J. P, Kuntz TM, Davachi L, Huttenhower C, LeDoux J.E, Phelps E.A. (2023) Episodic Memory is associated with gut microbiota composition in healthy humans. International Conference in Learning and Memory, Huntington Beach, CA, April 26th -31st 2023.
Castillo, J.*, Fan, H.*, Karaman, O. T., Shu, J., Stussi, Y., Kredlow, M. A., Vranos, S., Oyarzun, J. P., Dorfman, H., Sambrano, D., & Phelps, E. A. (2023) Overestimating stress experienced early during the pandemic is associated with decreased emotional well-being. 15th Annual Meeting of the Social and Affective Neuroscience Society, Santa Barbara, CA, April 27th - 29th, 2023.
Sieweyumptewa, P., Karaman, O.T., Oyarzun, J. P., Kredlow, M. A., Shu, J., & Phelps, E. (2023) Instructed Reappraisal During Writing Can Have Short- and Long-Term Effects on Narrative Language Use and Affect: A Pilot Study on COVID-19 Experiences. 15th Annual Meeting of the Social and Affective Neuroscience Society, Santa Barbara, CA, April 27th - 29th, 2023.
Oyarzún J. P, Kuntz TM, Stussi Y, Karaman OT, Vranos S, Callaghan B.L, Huttenhower C, LeDoux J.E, Phelps E.A (2022). Human threat learning is associated with gut microbiota composition. Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA, Nov 12th – 16th, 2022.
Kredlow, M.A., Oyarzun, J. P.,Fan,H.,Meskin,R.,Hirst,W., Phelps, E.A. (2022). Do linguistic features of trauma narratives predict trauma-related emotions and memory overtime? 37th Annual Conference of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (virtual)
Oyarzún J.P., Càmara E., Kouider S., Fuentemilla L., de Diego-Balaguer R. (2016). Implicit extinction prevents the spontaneous recovery of defensive responses. XXVIII International Congress of the Spanish Society of Comparative Psychology, 2016, Barcelona, Spain.
Oyarzún JP, Packard P, de Diego-Balaguer R, Fuentemilla L. (2015). Motivated Encoding enhances memory for future but not past, inconsequential related events in humans. EPFL Brain Mind Symposia - Mechanisms of Memory Consolidation, Reconsolidation and Extinction and their Relevance to Psychiatry, 2015, Laussane, Switzerland.
Oyarzún J.P., Moris J., Luque D., Diego-Balaguer R., Fuentemilla L. (2015). Memory reactivation during sleep promotes better consolidation of event episodes linked by overlapping elements. Society for Neuroscience (SfN), 2015, Chicago, USA.
Oyarzún J.P., Lopez-Barroso D., Fuentemilla L., Cucurell D., Pedraza C., Rodriguez-Fornells A., de Diego-Balaguer R. (2012). Updating fearful memories with extinction training during reconsolidation: a human study using auditory aversive stimuli. ESF-FENS Conferences on the dynamic brain - The Neurobiology of Emotion, 2012, Stresa, Italy.
Bacigalupo F., Rebolledo P., López-Calderón J., Luck S., Arriagada V., Carbonell C., Botto A., Oyarzún J., Aboitiz F. (2011). Emotional modulation of the executive function in patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. 66th Annual Meeting of the Society of Biological Psychiatry 2011, San Francisco, USA.
