Maital Neta

Maital Neta is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on emotional ambiguity, decision-making processes, and neuroimaging techniques like fMRI. She has held postdoctoral fellowships at Harvard Medical School (2004–2006) and Washington University School of Medicine. Neta’s work is funded by grants such as the NSF CAREER Award and an R01 from NIMH. She serves as President-Elect of the Society for Affective Science and Consulting Editor for journals like Emotion and Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. Her lab, the Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab, explores valence bias and brain networks, collaborating with the Center for Brain, Behavior, and Biology (CB3) on trauma and concussion studies.

Key research themes include how ambiguous expressions (e.g., surprise) are interpreted with negativity or positivity biases, influenced by individual differences and context. Neta teaches courses on personality psychology and social-affective neuroscience. Her awards include the Association for Psychological Science Fellowship and the Edgerton Junior Faculty Award.

Current projects involve interdisciplinary studies on emotional ambiguity, stress regulation, and developmental neuroscience. She mentors undergraduate students and advises graduate/professional trainees interested in her lab’s focus areas.