Thaís Mendes

Thaís earned her medical degree from the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and works as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Center for Sleep and Cognition (CfSC). Her research centers on neuromodulation as a treatment for psychiatric illness, with a particular interest in how sleep physiology shapes cognition and mood. She is also interested in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and women's mental health. At the CfSC, she contributes to clinical trials of brain stimulation during sleep in schizophrenia and in women with depression.

Before joining the CfSC, Thais trained at the Institute of Psychiatry of UFRJ, where she studied PTSD, trauma in refugee populations, and trauma-related sleep disturbances. There, she led a meta-regression analysis identifying factors that influence prazosin's efficacy for nightmares and insomnia in PTSD. Her long-term goal is a career in psychiatry that integrates psychotherapy and neuromodulation.

Thaís grew up in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and practiced as an urgent care physician in a university-affiliated public hospital before moving to Boston. She is a language enthusiast who is fluent in Portuguese, English, German, and Spanish and currently volunteers as a teaching assistant in an English program for adult immigrants at El Centro, Catholic Charities Boston. Outside the lab, you will find her running along the Charles, hiking a mountain trail, or reading Harry Potter. Her favorite moments are spent with friends and family, ideally over a good cup of coffee.

Education

  • MD | Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (UFRJ)

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow | Harvard Medical School

Publications

  • Barroso, D., de Paula Portilho, N., Garbacka-Struzik, A., … Mendes, T. P., … Rafihi-Ferreira, R. E. (2026). Acceptance and commitment therapy for insomnia: an updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 22(1). doi: 10.1007/s44470-026-00125-4

  • Melani, M. S., Paiva, J. M., da Silva, H. C., Mendes, T. P., Pereira, B. G., Lobo, I., & Berger, W. (2026). From turmoil to transformation: A systematic review of peritraumatic reactions and posttraumatic growth. European Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 10(2), 100673. doi: 10.1016/j.ejtd.2026.100673

  • Mendes, T. P., Pereira, B. G., Coutinho, E. S. F., Melani, M. S., Neylan, T. C., & Berger, W. (2025). Factors impacting prazosin efficacy for nightmares and insomnia in PTSD patients: A systematic review and meta-regression analysis. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 136, 111253. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2025.111253

  • Santos, M. A. R., Moro, P., Souza, A. L. B., Nirta, L., Mendes, T. P., Xavier, L. L., & Ding, M. C. (2025). Endovascular thrombectomy for large-core stroke: a meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis. Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, 83(5), 1–12. doi: 10.1055/s-0045-1806827

  • Moro, P., Santos, M. A. R., Souza, A. L. B., Mendes, T. P., Xavier, L. L., Di Bonaventura, C., & Cerulli Irelli, E. (2025). Can transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation be considered a viable adjunctive therapy in drug-resistant epilepsy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Epilepsy & Behavior, 167, 110394. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2025.110394

  • Souza, A. L. B., Mendes, T. P., Santos, M. A. R., Moro, P., Nirta, L., & Xavier, L. L. (2025). Safety of focused ultrasound ablation in Parkinson's disease: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, 135, 111159. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2025.111159

Selected Presentations

  • 2026 | Effects of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (tVNS) on Working Memory and Inhibitory Control: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA

  • 2026 | Efficacy of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Novel Meta-Analysis. American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA

  • 2024 | Factors impacting prazosin efficacy for nightmares and insomnia in PTSD patients: A systematic review and meta-regression analysis. International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Annual Meeting, Boston, MA

Media References & Appearances

Awards and Honors

  • 2023 | Cum Laude, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

  • 2023 | Honorable Mention, Women's Health Session, UFRJ Annual Research Meeting

  • 2023 | Teaching Assistant Grant in Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

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