Nicole Karcher

Education & Training

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• Postdoctoral Research Fellowship: Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 2020
• Ph.D.: University of Missouri Columbia, 2017
• M.A.: University of Missouri Columbia, 2012
• B.A.: College of William and Mary, 2008

Major Awards

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• Schizophrenia International Research Society Rising Star Award, 2025
• Maltz Prize for Innovative and Promising Schizophrenia Research, 2024
• NIMH K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award, 2020
• NIH Loan Repayment Program Award, 2019
• Mark H. Thelen Outstanding Clinical Graduate Student Award, 2015

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Research Interests

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My research primarily focuses on understanding the neural, genetic, cognitive, and environmental factors underlying the development and persistence of psychotic-like experiences in childhood and adolescence. My work uses several methodologies, including functional MRI, structural MRI, epidemiological, and genomic approaches to the study of the etiology of psychotic-like experiences. I am also motivated to develop identification and prevention efforts for children and adolescents at risk for the development of psychotic experiences, including efforts to reduce mental health disparities.

Recent Publications

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• What we have learned about adolescent mental health and where we are going after a decade with the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study

  Baskin-Sommers, A., Gearing, D., Ramduny, J., Zhang, Z., Townsend, N., Dupree, C., Fink, C., Horenkamp, L., Karcher, N. R., Patel, H., Kemp, E. C., Moorman, B. A., Hagan, K. E., Sawyers, C., Potter, A., Cioffredi, L. A., West, A., Purcell, A., Ibe, O. & Kliamovich, D. & 17 others, Anokhin, A. P., Aupperle, R. L., Brown, S., Clark, D. B., Foxe, J. J., Gee, D. G., Larson, C., McGlade, E., Nagel, B. J., Neigh, G., Tapert, S. F., Giarrusso, H., Nunez, A., Tay, J., McCurry, K. L., de Araujo, M. C. A. & Barch, D. M., Apr 2026, In: Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. 78, 101686.

• Discrepancies in perceptions of emotional and behavioral problems between adolescents and caregivers: a latent profile analysis from the SEARCH study

  Wang, Y., Womer, F., Karcher, N. R., Wang, Y., Zhou, K., Zhang, R., Wang, X., Yang, W., Zhang, X., Lin, Y., Liu, M., Liu, Z., Yang, J. & Wang, F., 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

• Adverse Experiences, Protective Factors, and Obesity in Latinx and Hispanic Youths

  Goldman, V., Esaian, S., Rivas Fernández, M. Á., Gonzalez, J. O., Karcher, N., Gold, J. I., Vidmar, A. P. & Adise, S., Dec 4 2025, In: JAMA Network Open. 8, 12, e2547104.

• Publisher Correction: Perinatal insult dimensions and developmental trajectories of psychotic-like experiences (Schizophrenia, (2025), 11, 1, (115), 10.1038/s41537-025-00662-6)

  Larson, E. R., Karcher, N. R. & Moussa-Tooks, A. B., Dec 2025, In: npj Schizophrenia. 11, 1, 138.

• Perinatal insult dimensions and developmental trajectories of psychotic-like experiences

  Larson, E. R., Karcher, N. R. & Moussa-Tooks, A. B., Dec 2025, In: npj Schizophrenia. 11, 1, 115.

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Funded Research Projects

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