Dr. Bergmans is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and joined the Prechter Bipolar Research Program in July 2017. She received her doctoral degree in epidemiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2017, after completing training in public health (M.P.H.) from the University of Michigan in 2013. Her graduate work focused on environmental determinants of health and health disparities, especially regarding the impact of food insecurity and nutrition on mental health.
Dr. Bergmans studies the influence of environmental factors on mood disorders via the immune response. Investigating the role gut microbiota play in these pathways using translational approaches is of particular interest to her. As part of the Prechter team, she is conducting research to determine whether targeting the human gut microbiome may provide a novel strategy for improving the burden of disease within bipolar patients.