David Evans

David Evans is a Professor of Psychology at Bucknell University with extensive research in neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. His work emphasizes the continuity between typical and atypical development, with particular focus on conditions with known genetic origins including 16p11.2 deletions/duplications, Prader-Willi syndrome, and Down syndrome.

Dr. Evans received his Ph.D. from Boston University in 1993 following an M.A. from Tufts University. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University (1993-1995) and is currently a Life Member at Clare Hall, University of Cambridge (2018-present).

His research examines neurodevelopmental disorders using behavioral measures, neuropsychological tools, and neuroimaging. He has developed dimensional assessment tools for repetitive behaviors and psychosis-spectrum traits. His work spans autism spectrum disorders, Down syndrome, and other genetic conditions, with a focus on understanding the relationship between genetic variations and behavioral phenotypes.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on dimensional approaches to neurodevelopmental conditions, with emphasis on repetitive behaviors, psychosis-spectrum traits, and the development of assessment tools. His work increasingly incorporates genetic approaches and examines both children and parents to understand familial patterns.

• Principal Investigator: Obsessive-compulsive and psychotic-like behaviors across PWS subtypes (2024-2025, $72,984)
• Principal Investigator: Dimensional analysis of developmental brain disorders using an online, genome-first approach (funded, $3,214,302)
• Principal Investigator: Functional Imaging and the autism endophenotype (Bucknell-Geisinger, $147,991)
• Investigator: Comprehensive phenotypic characterization of the 17q12 deletion syndrome (SFARI, $250,000)

Dr. Evans teaches courses including Introduction to Psychology, Developmental Psychobiology, Abnormal Psychology, Developmental Psychopathology, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, and Applied Research Methods. He is currently on sabbatical during the 2024-2025 academic year and welcomes undergraduate and graduate students with interests in neuroscience, genetics, and computational sciences to contact him for research opportunities.