Greetings and Welcome!

Hello, my name is Fernando Aguilar Ortega, and I am a second-year Neuroscience PhD student at Baylor College of Medicine. I earned my Bachelor of Arts from St. Olaf College, where I double majored in Psychology and Biology with a concentration in Neuroscience. My research focuses on understanding the neural circuit mechanisms underlying psychosis in disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. I am particularly interested in how disruptions in large-scale brain network organization contribute to alterations in perception, thought, and cognition. In the Heilbronner Lab, I use a cross-species approach that integrates anatomical tract-tracing, diffusion MRI, and intracranial electrophysiology to examine how brain networks are organized and how their interactions may become dysregulated in psychiatric illness. I am always eager to connect with fellow researchers, exchange ideas, and explore opportunities for collaboration. If you would like to connect, please feel free to reach out at fernando.ortega@bcm.edu.