Daniel P. Kennedy

Daniel P. Kennedy serves as Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Director of the Imaging Research Facility within Indiana University Bloomington's College of Arts & Sciences. His research investigates neural mechanisms of social behavior with emphasis on autism spectrum disorders, utilizing functional MRI, eye-tracking, and behavioral methodologies across neurotypical and clinical populations.

Education:

• Postdoctoral Scholar in Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology (2007-2012)
• Ph.D. in Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego (2007)
• B.S. in Psychobiology, SUNY Binghamton (2002)

Kennedy's research focuses on social neuroscience, particularly examining amygdala function in social perception, personal space regulation, and eye contact processing. His lab investigates how these neural mechanisms break down in autism spectrum disorders through brain connectivity analyses and functional neuroimaging. Key methodologies include resting-state fMRI to study default network abnormalities and eye-tracking to assess attentional patterns during social interactions.

Publication analysis reveals Kennedy's sustained focus on social brain networks in autism from 2006-2011. His work consistently examines amygdala-mediated social behaviors and intrinsic brain organization, with methodological integration of neuroimaging and eye-tracking techniques. Major contributions include demonstrating amygdala involvement in personal space regulation and identifying default network dysfunctions during self-reflection in autism.

As an active faculty member, Kennedy reviews graduate applications for Fall 2026 admission and directs the Imaging Research Facility, providing advanced neuroimaging resources for campus researchers. His Social Brain Lab conducts studies involving healthy participants, individuals with autism, and brain lesion patients to elucidate fundamental mechanisms of social cognition.