Professor of Psychology
About
The overall goal of my research program is to advance our understanding of the role of stress regulation in childhood mood disorders. To this end, my primary line of research focuses on examining the role of a key physiological stress response system, the Hypothalamic-Pituitary- Adrenal (HPA) axis, on the onset and course of pediatric depression. Within this area, I’m specifically interested in identifying and elucidating the mechanisms, antecedents, and consequences of atypical HPA-axis functioning in depressed children and adolescents. In addition, I’m pursuing a more broad secondary line of research focused on identifying protective and risk mechanisms of stress regulation in pediatric depression. Specifically, I am currently identifying behavioral, physiological, cognitive, and affective factors that either mitigate or exacerbate the negative consequences of stressful events in at-risk and clinically depressed youth.