"Even the greatest minds agree, the North Star is me." - Brandon J. Chuang
The Kingdom
Where we go, nobody truly understands except yourself. So I invite you to share in my life's work in hopes that you may catch a glimpse of my thoughts, my passions, and my wisdom. By digesting this and then taking action on your own voyage, perhaps life could have endless possibilities.
Psychiatry and Neuroscience Work on Schizophrenia
As both a scientist and an afflicted patient, I have spent nearly a decade of my life studying the psychopathology, underlying mechanisms, and potential remediation of the devastating illness, schizophrenia. Starting from my foundation of molecular biology at UCLA, I went straight out of college to work at UCSF as a research coordinator and data manager in Dr. Josh Woolley's BAND lab. Eventually my work here would lead me to gain acceptance into the top ranked UC Berkeley's Clinical Psychology PhD program working with Dr. Ann Kring. I have learned a great deal about what schizophrenia is and isn't, what works and what doesn't work, and the limitations you cannot put on yourself no matter the direness of the situation. My time here was a fountain of scientific knowledge where I was awarded several grants including two National Institute of Mental Health Diversity grants, the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, and the American Psychological Foundation's William and Dorothy Bevan Scholarship. I also authored several publications as my contribution to the field shown below, which I hope are useful in helping anyone navigate the literature.
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Publications:
1. Chuang B, Campellone TR, Woolley JD. Oxytocin does not improve emotional prosody recognition in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2020 November; 4: 100011. [pdf]
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2. Woolley JD, Chuang B, Fussel C, Scherer S, Biagianti B, Fulford D, Mathalon DH, Vinogradov S. Intranasal oxytocin increases facial expressivity, but not ratings of trustworthiness, in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Psychological Medicine. 2017 May; 47(7): 1311-1322. [pdf]
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3. Woolley JD, Lam O, Chuang B, Ford JM, Mathalon DH, Vinogradov S. Oxytocin administration selectively improves olfactory detection thresholds for lyral in patients with schizophrenia. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2015 Mar; 53:217-222. [pdf]
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4. Woolley JD, Chuang B, Lam O, Lai W, O’Donovan A, Rankin KP, Mathalon DH, Vinogradov S. Oxytocin enhances controlled social cognition in patients with schizophrenia. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2014 Sep; 24:116-125. [pdf]
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Media Coverage:
1. McFarling, Usha Lee. “A journey through schizophrenia, from researcher to patient and back.” STAT news. 2016 June. https://www.statnews.com/2016/06/14/schizophrenia-journey/
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2. Anwar, Yasmin. “Berkeley-bound scholar rises from the depths of schizophrenia.” Berkeley news. 2016 August. https://news.berkeley.edu/2016/08/18/scholar-defies-schizophrenia/
Screenplays
An archive of original screenplays.
The main character Brandon is a writer, actor, scientist, and world traveler who not only overcomes schizophrenia on all fronts, but boldly goes where no man has gone before.
In Kaleidoscope, the main character Owen finds himself at a crossroads to pursue his dream of writing a movie about his vision of a world where people with mental illness face their challenges or never having the world hear his story.
The year is 2050 and World War III has broken out. The Unity of Humanity against The Legion will decide the fate of the planet. Will two best friends be able to save the human race from its ultimate demise?
Set during the middle ages in the fabled land of Rodonia, this story is about a peasant with a disability named Bisou, who would go on to unite an empire by realizing his destiny of willing himself to do what no other person would do.
The world is in peril, religion has seen its demise, and God has not shown his face. One agent must embark on a mission to deter a villainous force and unlock the secrets of becoming an S Dominant.
MUSINGS 1: Race, Hatred, and Inequality
