Norman M. Spivak, PhD
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Norman M. Spivak, PhD
Senior Scientist
Norman M. Spivak, PhD, is a neuroscientist and physician-scientist in training whose research focuses on the clinical translation of noninvasive neuromodulation technologies. His work centers on transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) as a precision tool for probing and modulating deep brain circuits implicated in disorders of consciousness, affective illness, and treatment-resistant neuropsychiatric disease.
Dr. Spivak integrates human neuroimaging, neurophysiology, and clinical trials to establish causal links between circuit-level dysfunction and conscious state. He currently serves as Principal Investigator on NIH-funded studies developing imaging-guided ultrasound neuromodulation and contributes to multi-site clinical trials in psychiatry and neurology. His research emphasizes mechanistic rigor, patient-centered translation, and the safe restoration of brain function in severe neurological illness.
Undergraduate
BS in Neuroscience from UCLA (2018)
Graduate
PhD in Neuroscience from UCLA (2025); MD from UCLA (expected 2027)
Representative Publications
- Stern JM, Spivak NM, Becerra S, Kuhn TP, Korb AS, Kronemyer D, Khanlou N, Reyes SD, Monti MM, Schnakers C, Walshaw P, Keselman I, Cohen MS, Yong W, Fried I, Jordan SE, Schafer ME, Engel J, & Bystritsky A. Safety of Focused Ultrasound Neuromodulation in Humans with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. Brain Stimulation. 2021; 14(4):1022-31. DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2021.06.003. PubMed PMID: 34198105.
- Spivak NM, Korb AS, Reyes SD, Bych BP, Schafer SF, Khanlou N, Johnson EA, Schafer ME, Cohen MS, Kuhn T, & Bystritsky A. Histological Examination of Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Effects on Human Brain Tissue. Brain Stimulation. 2021; 14(6):1486-8. DOI 10.1016/j.brs.2021.09.015. PubMed PMID: 34607066.
- Cain JA, Spivak NM, Coetzee JP, Crone JS, Johnson MA, Lutkenhoff ES, Real C, Buitrago-Blanco M, Vespa PM, Schnakers C, & Monti MM. Ultrasonic Thalamic Stimulation in Chronic Disorders of Consciousness. Brain Stimulation. 2021; 14(2):301-3. DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2021.01.008. PubMed PMID: 33465497.
- Monti MM, Beekman R, Spivak NM, Thibaut A, Schnakers C, Whyte J, Molteni E, & the Curing Coma Campaign and its Contributors. Common Data Element for Disorders of Consciousness: Recommendations from the Working Group on Therapeutic Interventions. Neurocritical Care. 2023. DOI: 10.1007/s12028-023-01873-4. PubMed PMID: 38030874.
Your ideal research study
Closed-loop, connectome-guided individualized tFUS in disorders of consciousness to causally shift arousal circuits and enable intentional interaction.
What drew you to consciousness
I was drawn to consciousness research through my clinical work with patients with disorders of consciousness, where disruption of brain circuits lead to profound differences in arousal and responsiveness. Seeing how these circuit failures shape clinical outcome motivated my focus on using neuroimaging and neuromodulation to study and potentially restore the neural systems that support conscious state and recovery.
Hobbies
Scuba Diving, Meditation, Precision Sports