Erik Benau

Erik Benau serves as an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology within the School of Arts and Sciences at the State University of New York College at Old Westbury. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Kansas, an M.S. in Clinical Health Psychology from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, and a B.A. in Cognitive Science from Hampshire College. He completed a prestigious T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and is a licensed psychologist in New York State.

• 2018-2020: T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
• 2018: Ph.D. Clinical Psychology, University of Kansas
• 2012: M.S. Clinical Health Psychology, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia
• 2007: B.A. Cognitive Science, Hampshire College

Dr. Benau's research primarily focuses on the interaction of cognition and emotion, investigating how these processes influence each other and contribute to problematic thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. He employs psychophysiological methodologies, particularly Event-Related Potentials (ERPs), to examine the mechanisms underlying emotions and clinical disorders such as depression and anxiety. His secondary research interest lies in health psychology, with particular attention to the physical and mental health of underrepresented populations, including studies on self-harm, eating behaviors, and addictive behaviors.

An analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on suicide risk factors across diverse populations, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals and bisexual+ young adults. His work demonstrates expertise in psychophysiological methods to study emotion-cognition interactions, with recurring themes of interoception, implicit bias, and the mind-body connection. Recent publications also show his expanding research into cultural factors affecting mental health, including racism-related trauma in children and acculturation effects on eating disorders.

• T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship from the National Institutes of Health

Dr. Benau serves as Chair of the Institutional Review Board and is actively involved in mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, as evidenced by numerous publications with student co-authors from SUNY Old Westbury. His teaching responsibilities include advanced courses in research methods, clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, and neuropsychology. His research program appears to be well-funded through various sources that support his psychophysiological investigations of emotion and cognition.

While specific laboratory information isn't detailed in the provided text, Dr. Benau's extensive use of psychophysiological methodologies suggests he maintains a research lab equipped for ERP studies and other cognitive neuroscience investigations. His collaborative work with researchers at multiple institutions indicates an active research network focused on clinical and cognitive psychology questions.