Renee Thompson

Renee Thompson is an Associate Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Washington University, holding a PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She leads the Emotion and Mental Health Lab, investigating everyday emotional experiences across developmental stages and clinical populations (e.g., major depressive disorder) using experience sampling and physiological methods.

Her research examines emotion regulation dynamics, social media's impact on mental health, and interpersonal processes in psychopathology. Current projects analyze digital emotion regulation strategies and preadolescent suicide risk factors through intensive longitudinal designs.

Recent publications focus on emotion differentiation, interpersonal regulation, and social media's affective consequences. Work demonstrates how emotional clarity mitigates depression and informs adaptive regulation. She maintains collaborations with institutions including Columbia University and the NIH.