Philosophy Statement:

My research interests include the interplay between stress and neurobiological mechanisms underlying emotional behavior in children, adolescents, and adults. Specifically, my work focuses on how stress, or other social factors, change the structure and function of brain regions involved in aggression/bully perpetration. My research also examines how peer victimization and bystander experience contribute to the development of emotional disturbance (e.g., anxiety or depression) via structural and functional brain changes. In addition, I study the social neuroscience of bully-victim-bystander interactions at multiple units of analysis, including neuroimaging techniques (e.g., EEG, sMRI, fMRI, DTI) and physiological measures (e.g., hormones, gene/protein expression levels).

Courses Taught