Our lab takes a social neuroscience approach to research by combining theory and methodology from social and experimental psychology, endocrinology, neuroscience, social cognition, pharmacology and molecular genetics. Our ultimate goal is to detail the complex mechanisms underlying variation in human social behavior. Below are some of the questions that we are interested in:
Do acute fluctuations in testosterone during competition predict future social behavior? If so, do such hormonal changes play a causal role in modulating behavior?
Why do some individuals demonstrate a robust neuroendocrine response to competition while others do not? What role does social context and psychological traits play in modulating hormone reactivity to competition?
What are the neural mechanisms underlying the effect of testosterone dynamics on human aggression? What role do functional polymorphisms of the androgen and estrogen receptor play in modulating hormone-brain-behavior relationships?
Does variation in facial structure map onto individual differences in aggressive behavior? Are people accurate in estimating propensity for aggression based on facial cues alone? If so, what facial metrics are guiding accurate person perception?
Do individual differences in personality traits map onto variation in threat-related and reward related neural function? Does heightened threat-related amygdala reactivity predict individual differences in aggressive behavior?
LABORATORY OF SOCIAL NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
