Meet Nermin Toukhy, PhD: International Academy of Suicide Research Early Career Research Awardee

Congratulations to Nermin Toukhy, PhD (postdoctoral associate), who has received an International Academy of Suicide Research (IASR) Early Career Research Award for the biological studies of suicide. 

Dr. Toukhy earned her PhD in psychology from Bar-Ilan University in Israel. Under the mentorship of David Brent, MD (Endowed Chair in Suicide Studies and Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Clinical and Translational Science, Epidemiology, and Pediatrics), and Nadine Melhem, PhD (Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical and Translational Science), her current research focuses on understanding the effects of biomarkers of stress (cortisol) and inflammation (C-reactive protein, CRP) on neurocognitive function in young adults at risk for suicidal behaviors. She found that CRP and cortisol are associated with worse executive functioning (CRP) and incorrect decision-making (cortisol) under stressful conditions. These findings help improve our understanding of how biological and neurocognitive processes intercorrelate, which may provide a possible explanation for the persistent vulnerability to suicidal behaviors in at-risk young adults.

We spoke with Dr. Toukhy about her background as an international postdoctoral associate, factors that contributed to her research interests, and her experience at the University of Pittsburgh to date:

Coming from the Arab-Palestinian community in Israel, which struggles with high poverty and elevated crime rates, pursuing higher education is neither a typical trajectory nor an easily accessible opportunity, particularly for women. These structural barriers make the path toward advanced academic education exceptionally challenging, and they underscore how meaningful this journey has been for me. With the unwavering support of my family, the guidance of exceptional mentors, and a strong commitment to addressing highly stigmatized mental health challenges, I am among the first Arab-Palestinian women from my hometown to pursue postdoctoral research in the United States. 

As a licensed psychologist, my early clinical practice centered on providing care for Arab-Palestinian youth in Israel who faced substantial mental health challenges. While working toward my master’s in psychology, I examined the self-harm behaviors in this population, a community with profound stigma and social barriers around disclosing suicidal thoughts and behaviors. In my doctoral work, I evaluated the effectiveness of a computerized cognitive test (the Death/Suicide Implicit Association Test) in detecting suicidal thoughts and behaviors beyond self-report measures. 

At the University of Haifa, I completed my first postdoctoral fellowship where I helped develop an adaptive clinical screening test for suicide risk that combined physiological markers with clinical assessments to identify patients at high risk for suicide following discharge from emergency care. Here at the University of Pittsburgh, I am fortunate to work with two internationally known experts in suicide research, Dr. Brent and Dr. Melhem, who provide extraordinary support and guidance in my growth, wellbeing, and long-term success as an investigator. I am now examining biological mechanisms underlying suicide risk, focusing on cortisol and systemic inflammation. In addition, driven by the barriers to mental health care access in my community, I am studying digital health interventions aimed at reducing suicide risk in youth. 

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Toukhy!