María Mora, Ph.D. Staff Scientist II

María Mora, Ph.D., joined the Developing Brain Institute (DBI) at Children’s National as a Staff Scientist II in June 2024. María specializes in preprocessing and analyzing diffusion tensor imaging data to explore neurodevelopmental markers in neonates. Additionally, she is implementing an arterial spin labeling sequence to investigate perfusion changes in the placenta. Prior to joining DBI, María completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Radiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. She holds a Ph.D. in Medical Life Sciences and Technology from the Technical University of Munich in Germany. Her research primarily focuses on prenatal and neonatal perfusion and diffusion imaging. With her strong 

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background in magnetic resonance imaging, María is dedicated to advancing DBI's mission of unraveling the complexities of the developing brain.

Address: 111 Michigan Ave. NW; Washington, D.C., 20010
Email: [email protected]
Department: MRI Lab

Recent publications & presentations

2023

Mora Álvarez MG, Hölzel BK, Bremer B, Wilhelm M, Hell E, Tavacioglu EE, Koch K, Torske A. “Effects of web-based mindfulness training on psychological outcomes, attention, and neuroplasticity.” Scientific Reports. 2023 Dec 19;13(1):22635. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-48706-0. PMID: 38114554; PMCID: PMC10730881
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38114554

2022 | December

Berg RC, Menegaux A, Amthor T, Gilbert G, Mora M, Schlaeger S, Pongratz V, Lauerer M, Sorg C, Doneva M, Vavasour I, Mühlau M, Preibisch C. “Comparing myelin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging measures and resulting g-ratios in healthy and multiple sclerosis brains.” Neuroimage. 2022 Dec 1;264:119750. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119750. Epub 2022 Nov 13. PMID: 36379421; PMCID: PMC9931395
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36379421

2022 | August

Bremer B, Wu Q, Mora Álvarez MG, Hölzel BK, Wilhelm M, Hell E, Tavacioglu EE, Torske A, Koch K. “Mindfulness meditation increases default mode, salience, and central executive network connectivity.” Scientific Reports. 2022 Aug 2;12(1):13219. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-17325-6. PMID: 35918449; PMCID: PMC9346127
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35918449