Nakul Ravi Raval, PhD
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Associate Research Scientist in Psychiatry
Education
PhD
Kobenhavn University, Neuroscience (2022)
Kobenhavn University, Neuroscience (2022)
MSc
Uppsala University, Medical Nuclide Techniques (2019)
Uppsala University, Medical Nuclide Techniques (2019)
Publications Overview
- 25 Publications
- 377 Citations
- 29 Yale Co-Authors
Contact Info
Titles
Associate Research Scientist in Psychiatry
Education
PhD
Kobenhavn University, Neuroscience (2022)
Kobenhavn University, Neuroscience (2022)
MSc
Uppsala University, Medical Nuclide Techniques (2019)
Uppsala University, Medical Nuclide Techniques (2019)
Publications Overview
- 25 Publications
- 377 Citations
- 29 Yale Co-Authors
Contact Info
About
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Titles
Associate Research Scientist in Psychiatry
Biography
Nakul Raval is a neuroscientist specializing in positron emission tomography imaging and radioligand development for brain research. His work bridges radiochemistry and neurobiology to design and evaluate novel tracers for studying brain function. He focuses on substance use disorders, aiming to develop imaging tools to understand the molecular pathways driving these disorders. Using a translational approach, Nakul’s research advances how PET imaging can inform treatment strategies and deepen our understanding of the human brain.
Last Updated on November 12, 2025.
Appointments
Psychiatry
Associate Research ScientistPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- PhD
- Kobenhavn University, Neuroscience (2022)
- MSc
- Uppsala University, Medical Nuclide Techniques (2019)
Research
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Overview
Medical Research Interests
Mental Disorders; Neuroimaging; Positron-Emission Tomography
ORCID
0000-0001-5637-7219
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Nakul Ravi Raval's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Nakul Ravi Raval's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Nakul Ravi Raval is interested in exploring.
Ansel Hillmer, PhD
Kelly Cosgrove, PhD
Sherry McKee, PhD
Yasmin Zakiniaeiz, PhD
Brian Pittman
Gustavo A. Angarita, MD, MHS
25Publications
377Citations
Positron-Emission Tomography
Publications
Featured Publications
Acute Alcohol‐Induced Changes Measured With Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5 Positron Emission Tomography
Raval N, Smart K, Angarita G, Miller R, Huang Y, Krystal J, Carson R, Cosgrove K, O'Malley S, Hillmer A. Acute Alcohol‐Induced Changes Measured With Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5 Positron Emission Tomography. Addiction Biology 2025, 30: e70031. PMID: 40309934, PMCID: PMC12044519, DOI: 10.1111/adb.70031.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsBlood alcohol levelsAlcohol challengeEffects of acute alcohol consumptionPeak blood alcohol levelsLaboratory alcohol challengeNon-displaceable binding potentialMetabotropic glutamate receptor 5Acute alcohol challengeGlutamate releaseAlcohol-induced changesGlutamate receptor 5Alcohol consumptionAcute alcohol consumptionMGluR5 availabilityPET scansSocial drinkersEthanol doseAlcohol effectsBrain regionsAcute alcoholBinding potentialCortical regionsClinically relevant dosesDrinking occasionsAlcohol levelsImaging the brain’s immune response to alcohol with [11C]PBR28 TSPO Positron Emission Tomography
Raval N, Angarita G, Matuskey D, Miller R, Drake L, Kapinos M, Nabulsi N, Huang Y, Carson R, O’Malley S, Cosgrove K, Hillmer A. Imaging the brain’s immune response to alcohol with [11C]PBR28 TSPO Positron Emission Tomography. Molecular Psychiatry 2023, 28: 3384-3390. PMID: 37532797, PMCID: PMC10743097, DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02198-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsVolume of distributionBlood alcohol levelsPositron emission tomographyBrain immune responseImmune responseAlcohol challengeEmission tomographyPeak blood alcohol levelsMultilinear analysis 1Peripheral immune functionVivo human evidenceLaboratory alcohol challengeTSPO positron emission tomographyBinge levelsPlasma cytokinesImmune dysfunctionNeuroimmune systemIL-6MCP-1Cytokines TNFAcute effectsScan dayArterial bloodHuman evidenceImmune functionMultiple sources of β2*-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor binding are differentially affected during tobacco smoking abstinence as revealed by Independent Component Analysis of [18F]Flubatine PET images
Raval NR, Calakos KC, Zheng MQ, Huttner A, Esterlis I, Huang H, Calhoun VD, Picciotto MR, Cosgrove KP, Hillmer AT. Multiple sources of β2*-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor binding are differentially affected during tobacco smoking abstinence as revealed by Independent Component Analysis of [18F]Flubatine PET images. Neuropsychopharmacol 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-025-02311-z.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2026
Legal blood alcohol concentration limits and alcohol-attributable traffic mortality rates: an analysis across 165 countries
Jimenez Chavez C, Peltier M, Mokwuah A, Bin-Mahfouz A, Verplaetse T, Zakiniaeiz Y, Kohler R, Garcia-Rivas V, Banini B, Raval N, Pittman B, McKee S. Legal blood alcohol concentration limits and alcohol-attributable traffic mortality rates: an analysis across 165 countries. EClinicalMedicine 2026, 93: 103794. PMID: 41768275, PMCID: PMC12945517, DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2026.103794.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsGender inequalityTraffic mortality ratesNational incomeWorld Health OrganizationAge-standardized death ratesAlcohol consumptionPer capita alcohol consumptionCountry-level indicatorsHigh alcohol consumptionHealthcare system infrastructureAssistant SecretaryMortality rateStructural factorsAlcohol-impaired drivingRoad traffic deathsMortality burdenPopulation riskGlobal burdenMultilevel analysisStructural conditionsPrimary outcomeBlood alcohol concentration limitBlood alcohol concentrationDeath rateHealth OrganizationMultiple sources of β2*-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor binding are differentially affected during tobacco smoking abstinence as revealed by Independent Component Analysis of [18F]Flubatine PET images
Raval N, Calakos K, Zheng M, Huttner A, Esterlis I, Huang H, Calhoun V, Picciotto M, Cosgrove K, Hillmer A. Multiple sources of β2*-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor binding are differentially affected during tobacco smoking abstinence as revealed by Independent Component Analysis of [18F]Flubatine PET images. Neuropsychopharmacology 2026, 1-10. PMID: 41559453, DOI: 10.1038/s41386-025-02311-z.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsPost-mortem autoradiographySmoking abstinenceNicotinic acetylcholine receptor bindingPositron emission tomographyNAChR blockerNicotine-mediated behaviorsNicotine dependence severityAcetylcholine receptor bindingNovel treatment developmentTobacco smoking abstinencePeople quit smokingDependence severityAbstinent smokersNicotine challengeBrain regionsTreatment developmentNicotinic acetylcholine receptorsDaily smoking amountMedial thalamusIndependent samplesExploratory analysisReceptor bindingIndependent component analysisThalamusLateral thalamusHigher drinking frequency corresponds to lower synaptic density in people with alcohol use disorder
Zakiniaeiz Y, Raval N, Riordan W, Nabulsi N, Huang Y, Pittman B, Matuskey D, Angarita G, Bonomi R, McKee S, Hillmer A, Cosgrove K. Higher drinking frequency corresponds to lower synaptic density in people with alcohol use disorder. Journal Of Clinical Investigation 2026, 136 PMID: 41528802, PMCID: PMC13038192, DOI: 10.1172/jci199989.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAlcohol use disorderFrontal cortexUse disorderControl participantsSynaptic densityModerate alcohol use disorderMarker of synaptic densityPositron emission tomographyNondisplaceable binding potentialHigher drinking frequencyChronic alcohol useBrain imaging scansDrinking severityExecutive functionDrinking daysBinding potentialYears of ageBPNDDrinking frequencyAlcohol useStriatumCortexDeficitsSynaptic dysfunctionImaging scans
2025
Imaging Neuroimmune Dysfunction: From TSPO to Emerging PET Targets
Bonomi R, Raval N, Hillmer A, Cosgrove K. Imaging Neuroimmune Dysfunction: From TSPO to Emerging PET Targets. Biological Psychiatry 2025 PMID: 41297785, DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2025.11.010.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsPositron emission tomographyPET targetsBrain-resident immune cellsPET imaging biomarkersResident immune cellsDevelopment of novel radiotracersTranslocator proteinPositron emission tomography imagingPsychiatric disordersPsychiatric illnessNeuroimmune systemImmune cellsDiagnostic strategiesNovel radiotracersImaging biomarkersEmission tomographyMicroglial levelsTherapeutic targetIn vivoNeuroimmuneClinical and preclinical evidence of sex differences in nicotine-induced enhancement of alcohol self-administration
Garcia-Rivas V, Zakiniaeiz Y, Jimenez Chavez C, Kohler R, Peltier M, Raval N, Verplaetse T, Zhou H, McKee S. Clinical and preclinical evidence of sex differences in nicotine-induced enhancement of alcohol self-administration. Psychopharmacology 2025, 1-14. PMID: 41240074, DOI: 10.1007/s00213-025-06965-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsNicotine-induced enhancementAlcohol self-administrationSelf-AdministrationSex differencesRates of alcohol use disordersEvidence of sex differencesAlcohol use disorderAlcohol-related behaviorsPreclinical evidencePotential sex differencesNicotine useUse disorderFemale subjectsCo-usePreclinical studiesNicotineTranslation paradigmIntersection of alcoholAlcoholPotential intersectionsClinical studiesTherapeutic strategiesReinforcementInclusion criteriaRationaleAlcoholAlcohol use during pregnancy: the impact of social determinants of health on alcohol consumption among pregnant women
Peltier M, Verplaetse T, Bici V, Mokwuah A, Chavez C, Zakiniaeiz Y, Kohler R, Garcia-Rivas V, Banini B, Zhou H, Raval N, Pittman B, McKee S. Alcohol use during pregnancy: the impact of social determinants of health on alcohol consumption among pregnant women. Biology Of Sex Differences 2025, 16: 49. PMID: 40598644, PMCID: PMC12219128, DOI: 10.1186/s13293-025-00731-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSocial determinants of healthDeterminants of healthImpact of SDoHMonthly binge drinkingMonth alcohol useAlcohol useLikelihood of alcohol useSocial determinantsLikelihood of binge drinkingPregnant womenBinge drinkingImpact of social determinants of healthAlcohol consumptionNational Survey of Drug Use and HealthNational surveyMethodsCross-sectional dataDrug Use and HealthRates of prenatal alcohol exposureHigh school educationCriminal justice involvementPast-month alcohol useHealthcare providersSDOHTime of alcohol consumptionPrenatal alcohol exposure
2024
An In Vivo High-Resolution Human Brain Atlas of Synaptic Density
Johansen A, Beliveau V, Colliander E, Raval N, Dam V, Gillings N, Aznar S, Svarer C, Plavén-Sigray P, Knudsen G. An In Vivo High-Resolution Human Brain Atlas of Synaptic Density. Journal Of Neuroscience 2024, 44: e1750232024. PMID: 38997157, PMCID: PMC11326867, DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1750-23.2024.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPathogenesis of brain disordersBrain disordersHuman brainFunctional topographySynaptic densityBrain physiologySynapse densityHigher-order cortical areasSynaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2AHuman brain physiologyHealthy human brainSV2A densityPET neuroimagingComparative neuroscienceNeuroscience researchCortical areasBrainAutoradiography dataDisordersNeuroscienceBrain atlasesHealthy humansSV2APositive associationMRNA patterns
Clinical Trials
Current Trials
Evaluation of (S)-[18F]OF-NB1 as a radioligand for Positron Emission Tomography imaging of GluN2B-NMDA
IRB ID2000038885RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date12/31/2030Recruiting Participants
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- January 20, 2026
Yale Study: Higher Drinking Frequency Corresponds to Lower Synaptic Density in People with Alcohol Use Disorder
- September 22, 2025
Raval Awarded K99/R00 Grant From NIAAA
- June 25, 2025
SNMMI honors Yale researchers with awards at 2025 annual meeting
- May 07, 2025
Raval Honored with Three Travel Awards
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