Taruna Yadav, PhD, is a Research Fellow at the Yale School of Medicine, affiliated with the Blumenfeld Lab. Her research focuses on epilepsy, neural mechanisms of consciousness, and wearable technology for clinical assessment. She holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Houston (2022) and an ME in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (2015). Dr. Yadav’s work includes developing the ARTiE Watch, a wearable device to quantify impaired consciousness during seizures, funded by the American Epilepsy Society Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. Her studies integrate neurophysiological techniques with clinical applications, aiming to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient care in epilepsy. Her research spans neural oscillations, reward processing, and human-computer interaction, with contributions to translational neuroscience. Key projects include thalamic stimulation trials for epilepsy and studies on motor cortex activity in non-human primates.
Dr. Leanne Quigley is an Assistant Professor in the Clinical Psychology PsyD Program at Yeshiva University's Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology. She holds a PhD from the University of Calgary and completed clinical training at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. Her research focuses on cognitive-emotional interactions in depression, including attentional biases, emotion regulation, and treatment mediation. She teaches Cognitive Therapy, Statistics, and Data Analysis. Education : PhD in Clinical Psychology, University of Calgary (Canada) Clinical Internship & Postdoctoral Fellowship, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (Toronto) Research Interests : Dr. Quigley examines cognitive control mechanisms in depression, including executive functioning, attentional biases, and emotion regulation strategies. Her work evaluates treatment outcomes for cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and explores psychometric properties of clinical assessment tools. Current projects investigate avoidance behaviors in depression vulnerability and stigma associated with gambling disorders. Grants & Awards : CIHR Grant (2019-2022): $409,276 CAD for cognitive control research in depression Alberta Gambling Research Institute Grant (2015-2017): $10,000 CAD for gambling disorder stigma study Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (2012-2015) Advising & Labs : While no named students are listed, her research lab focuses on cognitive-behavioral mechanisms in mood disorders. Collaborations involve interdisciplinary teams studying addiction and mental health stigma.
Affiliation and Education Jan Buitelaar is Professor of Psychiatry and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Radboud University Medical Centre and Principal Investigator at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour in Nijmegen, Netherlands. He heads the Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre. He earned his M.D. (1978) and Ph.D. (1991) from Utrecht University, specializing in psychiatry at Utrecht and Erasmus Universities. Research Focus His interdisciplinary research integrates clinical studies, neuroimaging, genetics, and pharmacology to investigate neurodevelopmental disorders including ADHD, autism, and aggression-related conditions. Current work emphasizes translational neuroscience identifying molecular targets for ADHD/autism through preclinical models and human imaging genetics. Publication Trends Recent articles (2011-2015) demonstrate a strong focus on neuroimaging biomarkers (fMRI/MRI), genetic associations, and non-pharmacological interventions for ADHD. Key themes include brain structure/function alterations, familial risk patterns, and dietary impacts on behavior. Awards and Honors Lifetime Achievement Award (INSAR, 2023) Lifetime Achievement Award (Eunethydis, 2022) Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion (2020) Oeuvre Award (ESCAP, 2019) Fellow, INSAR (2018) Dutch Society for Psychiatry Research Award (2011) Leadership and Funding He coordinates multiple EU consortia (CANDY, BRAINVIEW) and leads work packages in projects like AIMS-2-TRIALS and Eat2beNICE. His research is funded by the EU, NIH, and Dutch Medical Research Council. He advises pharmaceutical companies including Roche, Novartis, and Boehringer Ingelheim. Laboratories and Teams Leads the Neuropsychiatric and Developmental Disorders research group at Radboudumc and the Donders Institute, emphasizing collaborative 'consortium neuroscience' approaches.
Ning Ding is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford's Department of Experimental Psychology, affiliated with the Co-SPACE team. Her work examines how individual factors (e.g., mental health, socioeconomic status) and societal influences (e.g., culture, policy) impact parents’ and children’s coping mechanisms during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. She holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge, where her research focused on cross-cultural comparisons of pre-schoolers’ future-oriented cognition. Her educational background includes training in developmental psychology, specializing in behavioral tasks assessing children’s social and cognitive development. Her research spans developmental psychology, cognitive development, and cross-cultural studies. Recent work emphasizes executive function, cultural contrasts in child behavior, and the interplay between societal policies and mental health management. Her articles explore themes such as cross-cultural differences in children’s decision-making (e.g., delay of gratification), executive function correlates in future-oriented cognition, and the relationship between language and flexible planning in early childhood. She contributes to initiatives like the Wellcome Language and Reading Project, addressing dyslexia and language interventions.
Elise Bennik is an Assistant Professor at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, affiliated with the Clinical Psychology & Experimental Psychopathology department. She specializes in depression, emotional regulation, reward sensitivity, and eating disorders. Her research employs intensive repeated measurements and longitudinal studies, such as the TRAILS cohort. Education: Bachelor of Medicine (partially completed) Master of Psychology (University of Groningen, 2005-2011) PhD in Psychology (University of Groningen, 2011-2015) Research Interests: Bennik focuses on the interplay between emotional reactivity, self-esteem, and psychological symptoms. Key topics include: Disgust-based emotional reasoning in eating disorders Reward/punishment sensitivity in dieting success and anxiety Hunger's impact on mood and attentional bias Preventive interventions for youth mental health Recent Article Trends: Her work bridges clinical psychology and neuroscience, emphasizing translational research. Recent studies investigate: Biological mechanisms linking hunger to emotional states Cognitive biases in food cue processing Socio-cultural factors in body image disturbances Teaching & Supervision: Internship coordinator for Clinical Psychology Master's programs Supervisor of over 50 theses on topics like contamination fear, self-esteem, and reward sensitivity Course developer for Ehealth Lab and diagnostic strategies modules Labs/Teams: Active in the Heymans Institute and Interdisciplinary Centre for Psychopathology & Emotion Regulation.
Olivier Boucher is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the Université de Montréal, affiliated with the CHUM Research Centre. His research focuses on neuropsychology of insular cortex epilepsy, particularly investigating the role of the insula in cognitive and affective functions through lesion studies, intracranial EEG, and neuroimaging. He collaborates on projects such as the 'Sensory and emotional processing in the human insula' funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (2016–2023). His work addresses how cognitive tests predict epileptogenic focus localization and evaluates neurosurgical impacts on neuropsychological functions. Key areas include insular resection effects on memory, decision-making, and sensory processing. He has advised three graduate students and published extensively in journals like Human Brain Mapping , NeuroImage , and Brain Structure and Function . His research also explores environmental contaminants' neurodevelopmental effects in Inuit populations and the insula's role in sensory and emotional processing. Education: Ph.D. in Psychology (Neuropsychology focus) Affiliations: Neurosciences Axis, CHUM Research Centre Department of Neurology, CHUM Hospital Grants: CIHR-funded project on sensory/emotional processing in insula (2016–2023) Labs/Teams: Neuropsychology of Epilepsy and Neuroimaging Group Inserm collaborations on insular cortex studies His recent publications analyze insular cortex contributions to sensory perception, decision-making, and epilepsy surgery outcomes. He has contributed to understanding the insula's role in food valuation, auditory processing, and personality changes post-resection.
Joseph M. Orr is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Texas A&M University , where he has served since 2015. He is also a Training Faculty at the Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience (2016–present) and currently holds the position of Associate Department Head . His research focuses on the psychological and neural mechanisms of executive functions , particularly how humans adapt to environmental and goal changes through cognitive flexibility , task switching , and reward-driven behavior . Education : Ph.D. in Psychology (2011), University of Michigan, advised by Daniel Weissman and William Gehring. Research Themes : Executive function, cognitive flexibility, reward processing, fatigue, dopamine, addiction, psychosis, and spatial cognition in altered gravitational environments. Dr. Orr leads the Cognitive Neuroscience of Goals and Actions Laboratory (CONGAlab) , which employs behavioral approaches , computational modeling , non-invasive brain stimulation , pupillometry , and neuroimaging (MRI, EEG/ERP) . His work has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF 1928695) , Texas A&M Triads for Transformation, and NIH grants. He has contributed to understanding task-set inertia , reconfiguration , and goal-directed behavior through over 45 peer-reviewed publications. Scientific Awards : Fellow, Psychonomic Society (2019–present) Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NIH F32DA034412) APA Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity Grant Research Trends : Analysis of cognitive flexibility mechanisms, impact of reward and feedback on task switching, neuroimaging of psychosis risk populations, and applications of brain stimulation techniques. Key subfields include voluntary task selection , dopamine modulation , non-invasive brain stimulation , and adaptive spatial cognition interfaces . Service & Leadership : Served on promotion/tenure committees, strategic planning, and the institute's Membership Committee . Organized the ARMADILLO Southwest Regional Conference and contributed to curriculum development and diversity initiatives.
Dan Denis is a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of York since 2024. He received his PhD in Psychology from the University of Sheffield (2013-2017), preceded by an undergraduate degree and MRes in Psychology from Goldsmiths, University of London. His academic journey includes postdoctoral roles at Harvard Medical School, University of Notre Dame, and King’s College London. Denis is affiliated with the EPOC and SLAM research labs. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship (2022-2024) Member of Sleep Research Society and Society for Neuroscience Guest Editor for Frontiers in Sleep special issue on Sleep & Memory Research Focus : Cognitive neuroscience of adaptive memory formation, emphasizing sleep's role in prioritizing critical information through salience cues like emotion/reward. Key projects include: Adaptive memory consolidation (emotion/reward tagging) Sleep spindles in PTSD/schizophrenia Anomalous sleep phenomena (sleep paralysis) Neurophysiological markers of memory consolidation His work combines behavioral studies with EEG to explore memory strengthening mechanisms, mental health implications, and sleep intervention strategies. Scientific Awards & Memberships : Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship recipient Active member of Sleep Research Society Professional affiliation with Society for Neuroscience Teaching Contributions : Lecturer for Year 2 Brain and Behaviour module and Year 3 Transdiagnostic Mental Health advanced course. Supervises research projects across undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Dr. Spencer Castro is an Assistant Professor in Management of Complex Systems at UC Merced, investigating cognitive aspects of human-machine systems. His research program integrates human factors, neuroscience, and visualization to address challenges in: Cognitive workload measurement during multitasking Neural correlates of environmental exposure Visualization design for complex information Human-automation interaction in driving contexts Methodologically, he employs neurophysiological measures (EEG), virtual reality, and behavioral experiments. Recent studies examine how natural environments influence reward processing and attention, design principles for uncertainty visualization, and cognitive costs of intermittent multitasking. Applied work includes VR evacuation training for wildfires and COVID-19 forecast communication.
Kari A. Johnson, PhD, is a Research Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Molecular Therapeutics at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) School of Medicine in Bethesda, MD. Her research focuses on synaptic adaptations in basal ganglia circuits caused by chronic alcohol exposure, with particular emphasis on G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) modulation of neurotransmission and behavior. Dr. Johnson holds a B.A. in Biology and Religious Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Vanderbilt University, and completed postdoctoral training at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Her work bridges neuropharmacology and addiction science, investigating how alcohol disrupts cognitive functions through molecular mechanisms in striatal circuits. Key research themes include: (1) GPCR modulation of glutamate and dopamine signaling, (2) synaptic plasticity in alcohol use disorders, and (3) endocannabinoid regulation of reward pathways. Her preclinical studies use rodent models to explore therapeutic targets for alcohol-related impairments. Dr. Johnson’s publications span 20 years, focusing on metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), ethanol neurobiology, and translational neuropharmacology. Notable contributions include defining mGluR2's role in striatal plasticity and dopamine regulation, and demonstrating age-dependent alcohol-induced deficits in synaptic depression.
Dr Frederike Beyer is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Interim Head of the Department of Psychology at Queen Mary University of London. She is affiliated with the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences and the Centre for Brain and Behaviour. Her research focuses on social cognition, stress, aggression, sense of agency, and reward processing, employing methods such as EEG, fMRI, and behavioral paradigms. Key areas include stress's impact on social behaviors like trust and aggression, and how motor actions influence reward processing. Her research interests explore how social contexts modulate neural processes, particularly under stress. She investigates how physical activity might mitigate social stress and how agency perceptions shift during human-robot interactions. Grants include studies on instrumental control in Pavlovian conditioning (£19,500, Royal Society) and temperamental influences on social cognition under stress (£31,969, Bial Foundation). Dr Beyer advises PhD students Simrandeep Cheema and Yuzhu Zhang. Her work bridges cognitive and social neuroscience, addressing questions about neural mechanisms underlying human behavior in social settings.
Eugene Santos Jr. is the Sydney E. Junkins 1887 Professor of Engineering and Director of the Master of Engineering Program at Dartmouth College's Thayer School of Engineering. He holds adjunct roles in Computer Science and serves on the Department of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board. His research bridges artificial intelligence, decision science, and social systems, focusing on computational intent, adversarial modeling, and explainable AI applications in healthcare, cybersecurity, and societal resilience. Education: BS/MS in Math/CS (Youngstown State), ScM/PhD in Computer Science (Brown University). Awards include AAAS and IEEE Fellowships. Key projects include AI ethics frameworks, insider threat detection, and federated biomedical knowledge graphs. Research interests span Bayesian knowledge systems, human-machine teaming, and nonlinear decision-making. Over 150 peer-reviewed publications include advancements in reward function analysis, ontology fusion, and trust in AI systems. Advised 10+ PhD students and leads the DI²AG research group. Active in policy roles, including Vermont's AI Taskforce and editorial leadership for IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics.
Elise Orellana, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Rochester's School of Medicine and Dentistry. Her research focuses on neuro-hormonal mechanisms linking weight loss surgery to changes in alcohol-related behaviors, particularly in rodent models. She investigates how surgical and non-surgical interventions influence alcohol use through pathways like ghrelin signaling and gut microbiota alterations. Her work bridges neuroscience, endocrinology, and behavioral studies, with implications for understanding alcohol use disorders post-bariatric surgery. Publications highlight studies on ghrelin levels, vagotomy effects, and microbiome changes post-surgery. Her findings suggest neuroendocrine pathways mediate alcohol consumption shifts in diet-dependent models. While no scientific awards are listed, her research has been published in journals like Brain Research Bulletin and Alcohol and Alcoholism . Current work continues exploring gut-brain interactions and potential pharmacological interventions for alcohol use disorders linked to metabolic surgery outcomes.
Ulrik Beierholm is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Durham University, with affiliations in the Biophysical Sciences Institute and the Durham Research Methods Centre. He previously held positions at the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Computational Neuroscience and Cognitive Robotics. His research lies at the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, and machine learning. His research focuses on how the human brain processes uncertainty in perception, decision-making, and learning. He employs Bayesian inference and reinforcement learning models to understand human behavior, validated through psychophysics , fMRI , and pharmacological methods. Key areas include multisensory integration , causal inference , perceptual clustering , and behavioral vigor . His work often explores developmental and aging effects on perception. His recent publications reveal a strong trend in modeling multisensory perception under uncertainty, with increasing focus on open-source tools (e.g., BCI Toolbox) and educational outreach (e.g., Neuromatch Academy). Themes include reliability-weighted cue integration, dopamine’s role in motivation, and developmental changes in perceptual strategies. Facebook Faculty Award - Virtual Reality (2016) Leverhulme Trust Grant (£250k) for 'Learning to perceive and act under uncertainty' (2017) Tubingen-Durham Joint Seedcorn Fund for 'The effects of mood on effort allocation during uncertainty' (2019) Dr. Beierholm has supervised PhD students and research assistants such as Nathanael Larigaldie, Denise Foresteire, and Laura Bird. He has secured competitive grants from the Leverhulme Trust and joint university funds, supporting projects on uncertainty, effort allocation, and multisensory perception. His collaborative network spans institutions in the UK, Germany, and the US. He co-organizes research workshops including the Probabilistic Brain Workshop and Computational Models of Social Interaction , and is involved in the Biophysical Sciences Institute Executive Board . His lab conducts behavioral experiments on multisensory integration, equipped with a soundproof room, projector, and 17-speaker array.
Dr. Erin Bobeck is an Associate Professor and Co-Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Biology at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. She leads the Bobeck Lab, which focuses on understanding how G-protein coupled receptor systems regulate neurological functions related to anxiety, pain, and addiction. Dr. Bobeck's educational background includes: PhD in Experimental Psychology (Neuroscience) from Washington State University (2013) MS in Experimental Psychology (Neuroscience) from Washington State University (2010) BS in Psychology from Washington State University (2004) Dr. Bobeck's research primarily centers on two major projects. First, she characterizes the novel neuropeptide-receptor system BigLEN-GPR171 and investigates how it regulates responses to stress and reward. Second, she examines how different opioids alleviate pain through distinct mechanisms, which leads to differences in the development of tolerance and addiction. Her lab employs behavioral, biochemical, and genetic approaches to develop novel therapeutics for treating pain, anxiety, and addiction disorders. Her work bridges basic neuroscience with potential clinical applications, particularly in understanding opioid mechanisms and identifying alternative pain management strategies that minimize addiction potential. Analysis of Dr. Bobeck's recent publications (2009-2023) reveals a strong focus on opioid pharmacology, pain mechanisms, and neuropeptide receptor systems. Her research consistently explores how G-protein coupled receptors, particularly opioid receptors and the novel GPR171 receptor, modulate pain, anxiety, and reward pathways. A significant portion of her work investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying opioid tolerance development, which has important implications for understanding and addressing the opioid crisis. Her recent publications show an increasing emphasis on novel receptor systems like GPR171 as potential targets for pain management with reduced addiction potential compared to traditional opioids. Dr. Bobeck has mentored numerous graduate students through their thesis research, including: Alyssa Lauer (Biology, August 2021) Callie Newson (Biology, August 2021) Max McDermott (Biology, May 2018) Megan Raddatz (Biology, March 2022 - May 2024) Akila Ram (Biology, January 2018 - May 2021) Leela Afrose (Biology, January 2018 - December 2020) Dr. Bobeck teaches several courses including Neurobiology (BIOL 4450), Biology II (BIOL 1620), and Methods in Neuroscience (PSY, BIOL 4750, 6750, 7140). As Co-Director of Graduate Studies, she plays a significant role in shaping the graduate program within the Biology department. The Bobeck Lab at Utah State University consists of graduate students, undergraduate researchers, and collaborators working together to advance understanding of neurological mechanisms related to pain, anxiety, and addiction. The lab utilizes a multidisciplinary approach combining behavioral testing, molecular techniques, and pharmacological interventions to investigate receptor systems and their roles in neurological function.
