Dr. Vega recently joined the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. She is a first-generation college graduate who received Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Arizona. Dr. Vega received her doctorate in Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience from Vanderbilt University in 2018. Her dissertation work focused on investigating nicotine as a treatment for cognitive impairment secondary to chemotherapy in lymphoma, breast, ovarian and colon cancer survivors. She has a broad background in neuroimaging, cognitive psychology, and clinical neuroscience research. Her postdoctoral research focused largely on developing and initiating a feasibility study looking at using a novel cognitive enhancement strategy to treat chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment in cancer survivors. Her scientific interests lie in translational research focused on pathologic cognitive aging in patient populations vulnerable to late-life cognitive impairment.
Health Informatics And Implementation Science
Vanderbilt University, Cognitive & Systems Neuroscien
Population and Quantitative Health Sciences
Vega JN, Newhouse PA, Conley AC, Szymkowicz SM, Gong X, Cote S, Mayer I, Taylor WD, Morimoto SS
Vega JN, Newhouse PA, Conley AC, Szymkowicz SM, Gong X, Cote S, Mayer I, Taylor WD, Morimoto SS. Use of focused computerized cognitive training (Neuroflex) to improve symptoms in women with persistent chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment. Digit Health. 2023 Jan-Dec; 9:20552076231192754.
Use of focused computerized cognitive training (Neuroflex) to improve symptoms in women with persistent chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment.
Vega JN, Albert KM, Mayer IA, Taylor WD, Newhouse PA
Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice
Vega JN, Albert KM, Mayer IA, Taylor WD, Newhouse PA. Subjective cognition and mood in persistent chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment. J Cancer Surviv. 2022 06; 16(3):614-623.
Subjective cognition and mood in persistent chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment.
Vega JN, Zurkovsky L, Albert K, Melo A, Boyd B, Dumas J, Woodward N, McDonald BC, Saykin AJ, Park JH, Naylor M, Newhouse PA
Vega JN, Zurkovsky L, Albert K, Melo A, Boyd B, Dumas J, Woodward N, McDonald BC, Saykin AJ, Park JH, Naylor M, Newhouse PA. Altered Brain Connectivity in Early Postmenopausal Women with Subjective Cognitive Impairment. Front Neurosci. 2016; 10:433.
Altered Brain Connectivity in Early Postmenopausal Women with Subjective Cognitive Impairment.
Vega JN, Newhouse PA. Mild cognitive impairment: diagnosis, longitudinal course, and emerging treatments. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2014 Oct; 16(10):490.
Mild cognitive impairment: diagnosis, longitudinal course, and emerging treatments.
Vega JN, Hohman TJ, Pryweller JR, Dykens EM, Thornton-Wells TA
Vega JN, Hohman TJ, Pryweller JR, Dykens EM, Thornton-Wells TA. Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Individuals with Down Syndrome and Williams Syndrome Compared with Typically Developing Controls. Brain Connect. 2015 Oct; 5(8):461-75.
Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Individuals with Down Syndrome and Williams Syndrome Compared with Typically Developing Controls.
Vega JN, Taylor WD, Gandelman JA, Boyd BD, Newhouse PA, Shokouhi S, Albert KM
Vega JN, Taylor WD, Gandelman JA, Boyd BD, Newhouse PA, Shokouhi S, Albert KM. Persistent Intrinsic Functional Network Connectivity Alterations in Middle-Aged and Older Women With Remitted Depression. Front Psychiatry. 2020; 11:62.
Persistent Intrinsic Functional Network Connectivity Alterations in Middle-Aged and Older Women With Remitted Depression.
Meda SA, Koran ME, Pryweller JR, Vega JN, Thornton-Wells TA
Meda SA, Koran ME, Pryweller JR, Vega JN, Thornton-Wells TA. Genetic interactions associated with 12-month atrophy in hippocampus and entorhinal cortex in Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Neurobiol Aging. 2013 May; 34(5):1518.e9-18.
Genetic interactions associated with 12-month atrophy in hippocampus and entorhinal cortex in Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative.
Koran ME, Hohman TJ, Edwards CM, Vega JN, Pryweller JR, Slosky LE, Crockett G, Villa de Rey L, Meda SA, Dankner N, Avery SN, Blackford JU, Dykens EM, Thornton-Wells TA
Koran ME, Hohman TJ, Edwards CM, Vega JN, Pryweller JR, Slosky LE, Crockett G, Villa de Rey L, Meda SA, Dankner N, Avery SN, Blackford JU, Dykens EM, Thornton-Wells TA. Differences in age-related effects on brain volume in Down syndrome as compared to Williams syndrome and typical development. J Neurodev Disord. 2014; 6(1):8.
Differences in age-related effects on brain volume in Down syndrome as compared to Williams syndrome and typical development.
Vega JN, Albert KM, Mayer IA, Taylor WD, Newhouse PA. Nicotinic treatment of post-chemotherapy subjective cognitive impairment: a pilot study. J Cancer Surviv. 2019 Oct; 13(5):673-686.
Nicotinic treatment of post-chemotherapy subjective cognitive impairment: a pilot study.
Conley AC, Key AP, Taylor WD, Albert KM, Boyd BD, Vega JN, Newhouse PA
Conley AC, Key AP, Taylor WD, Albert KM, Boyd BD, Vega JN, Newhouse PA. EEG as a Functional Marker of Nicotine Activity: Evidence From a Pilot Study of Adults With Late-Life Depression. Front Psychiatry. 2021; 12:721874.
EEG as a Functional Marker of Nicotine Activity: Evidence From a Pilot Study of Adults With Late-Life Depression.
The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
Vega JN, Dumas J, Newhouse PA. Cognitive Effects of Chemotherapy and Cancer-Related Treatments in Older Adults. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2017 Dec; 25(12):1415-1426.
Cognitive Effects of Chemotherapy and Cancer-Related Treatments in Older Adults.
Vega JN, Dumas J, Newhouse PA. Self-reported chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment compared with cognitive complaints following menopause. Psychooncology. 2018 09; 27(9):2198-2205.
Self-reported chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment compared with cognitive complaints following menopause.
Andrews P, Vega JN, Szymkowicz SM, Newhouse P, Tyndale R, Elson D, Kang H, Siddiqi S, Tyner EB, Mather K, Gunning FM, Taylor WD
Andrews P, Vega JN, Szymkowicz SM, Newhouse P, Tyndale R, Elson D, Kang H, Siddiqi S, Tyner EB, Mather K, Gunning FM, Taylor WD. Effects of open-label transdermal nicotine antidepressant augmentation on affective symptoms and executive function in late-life depression. J Affect Disord. 2024 Oct 01; 362:416-424.
Effects of open-label transdermal nicotine antidepressant augmentation on affective symptoms and executive function in late-life depression.
Conley AC, Vega JN, Johnson JV, Dumas JA, Newhouse PA
Conley AC, Vega JN, Johnson JV, Dumas JA, Newhouse PA. Effect of estradiol with or without micronized progesterone on cholinergic-related cognitive performance in postmenopausal women. Front Neurosci. 2024; 18:1428675.
Effect of estradiol with or without micronized progesterone on cholinergic-related cognitive performance in postmenopausal women.