News of the Week

M.D. Class of 2026 student lead author of journal article

Jul 19, 2024
Austin M. Spitz
Austin M. Spitz

Austin M. Spitz, a medical student (Class of 2026) working with Dr. F. Andrew Kozel’s FSU Neuromodulation Lab, was the lead author of an article published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Co-authors on the work, titled “The Relationship of Anxious Arousal with Treatment of Dysphoria Using Virtual Reality Mindfulness and Two Accelerated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Protocols,” were Kozel, Mariah Jensen, Isabelle Taylor, M.A., Kevin A. Johnson, Ph.D., and Megan C. Senda, B.S.

All the authors work at either Kozel’s lab, the FSU Neuromodulation™ Clinical Practice, or both.

As the article noted, “Dysphoria, defined as ‘a mood characterized by generalized discontent and agitation,’ is a symptom complex present in several medical conditions including major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain.”

The article is also posted on the journal’s website, www.psychiatrist.com. Spitz also presented the work in poster form at the College of Medicine’s 20th Annual Research Fair on Feb. 9.

Now at the Pensacola Regional Campus, Spitz hopes to specialize in psychiatry.