The human brain changes rapidly in adolescence and early adulthood, potentially facilitating the integration of social information, emotions, and long-term goals. Yet for individuals whose emotions are especially reactive and intense, this may be a period of risk for volatile … Read more

Anxiety and fear are widely experienced phenomena, and among the most common symptoms of psychological problems. Dr. Jonathan Abramowitz’s Anxiety and Stress Lab focuses broadly on the nature and treatment of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The lab conducts studies … Read more

Body states such as hunger, fatigue, and illness exert powerful effects on our emotions and reactions to the world. The idea that the body’s ongoing physiological state shapes our experiences of emotion is just one line of research in Dr. … Read more

Attention refers to that critical aspect of cognitive and neural functioning that allows us to focus on and respond to the most important aspects of our environment. Transient lapses of attention lead to inefficient learning, distracted driving, and neglect of … Read more

Over recent decades, the scientific community has grown increasingly interested in how to integrate information across data sources to promote cumulative research. Combining existing data resources offers many advantages, including the ability to examine the consistency of findings across multiple … Read more

Research in the Reissner lab is designed to understand how experience, particularly drug abuse, affects the structural and functional interactions between neurons and astrocytes. Astrocytes are star-like cells whose name is derived from the Greek “astron”, meaning star. Astrocytes are … Read more

Dr. Jennifer Arnold’s lab seeks to understand the cognitive mechanisms behind using language in context. The ability to use language is a cognitive feat that defines what it means to be human. In addition to managing extensive vocabularies, sound systems … Read more

Over the past 25 years, there is strong evidence that intervening early in the course of schizophrenia, within the first 5 years, has the potential to change the trajectory of the illness. This has led to the development of “Coordinated … Read more

Trevor McPherson, throughout his exposure to the niche field of musical neuroscience, has noted the vast majority of research centers around western musical culture. Studies are conducted by western trained musicians, examine the effects of western music on the brain, … Read more

Poverty has a way of perpetuating itself. The reasons are many, but one is that people facing poverty sometimes make self-defeating decisions. Most lottery tickets and payday loans, for example, are bought by the poor. These cycles of poverty leading … Read more