In 2014-15, Dr. Kenneth Bollen co-chaired a National Science Foundation committee on replicability in the social, behavioral, and economic sciences. This report leaves little doubt that we have a problem: it is far more difficult to replicate prior research than … Read more

Dr. Gariepy examines how the organization of the stress response system, conceived as a physiological interface between the organism and its environment, is shaped by experience and relates to individual differences in patterns of socio-emotional adaptation. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis … Read more

During a recent semester of leave, Dr. Peter Gordon worked to develop novel theoretical and methodological approaches for understanding the coordination of language with other mental processes as to better understand why this coordination breaks down for individuals with different … Read more

Early adversity profoundly affects diverse aspects of child development, including brain development, physiological reactivity to stress, and long-term risk for mental illness. Most models of these effects focus on the number rather than character of adverse childhood experiences. In Dr. … Read more

The brain is the basis for behaviors, both normal and pathological. In recent decades, the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging in behavioral research has led to rapid advances in our knowledge of the functional organization of the brain and, … Read more

Imagine the last time you interviewed for a job you really wanted. You may recall some serious bodily changes happening during the interview; sweaty palms, racing heart, pounding pulse. What were you thinking about during the interview? Were you especially … Read more

Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by an orientation towards excitement and arousal, emotionally driven behaviors, and heightened sensitivity to rewards. Recent evidence from developmental neuroscience studies has shown significant changes in dopaminergic reward processing during adolescence. The prevailing view … Read more

Dr. Dave Thissen and more than ten graduate students involved with his research group over the past decade have collaborated with colleagues in the UNC Schools of Medicine and Public Health, and at other institutions, on the interdisciplinary NIH-initiated Patient-Reported … Read more

Dr. Sylvia Fitting’s laboratory is interested in sorting the underlying structural and functional consequences of behavior/neurocognition in disease. Her goal is to develop a better understanding of how cellular function is affected by drug abuse ± HIV/HIV-1 protein infection. She … Read more

Humans are remarkably adaptable — we can instinctively change a planned course of action if an unexpected event occurs (slamming on the breaks when a car swerves ahead), rapidly learn new skills (children developing language), and deftly compensate for loss … Read more