Current Research

Basic Science
Our lab research pertains to the psychological and neural underpinnings of emotion processing and emotion-cognition interactions. We apply a constellation of approaches and methodologies, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), EEG/event-related potentials (ERPs), MEG/event-related fields (ERFs), autonomic physiology and sensory psychophysics, to understand basic cognitive (sensory processing, perception, appraisal and decision making) and affective (threat, reward, and hedonicity) mechanisms in emotion processing.

Clinical Science
Our lab also conducts translational research into aberrations in cognitive-affective interactions as underlying mechanisms of psychopathology, especially anxiety disorders. We study typical populations as well as active duty and military populations with varied levels of risk for anxiety and patients with a chief complaint of anxiety.

A neurosensory account of PTSD (R01MH132209):

PTSD is a highly debilitating mental illness that is difficult to treat. We have proposed a novel neurosensory account of PTSD emphasizing a tripartite sensory-prefrontal-cortex-amygdala (SPA) pathology. Taking a mechanistic, cognitive-affective neuroscience approach to elucidate this SPA pathology, this project will generate rich insights to significantly advance the conceptualization and treatment of PTSD and related disorders.

Thalamocortical dysrhythmia in pain (R01NS129059):

Leveraging multimodal neuroimaging and neuromodulation, this study aims to unify spatiotemporal alterations in thalamocortical circuitry functioning in both experimental and clinical pain. It will produce novel mechanistic evidence to advance the conceptualization and treatment of pain.

Deficient inhibition in stress and anxiety (R21MH126479):

Stress and anxiety are prevalent psychiatric problems in our society. By uncovering a novel mechanism— deficient alpha-frequency connectivity—underlying hyperactive functioning of the salience network, the proposed research will generate significant new insights into the pathophysiology of stress and anxiety and identify an effective biomarker for these conditions.