How can we use brain, behavior, and biological measures to characterize diverse responses to trauma, including racial trauma?

How does trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affect the way we approach our daily tasks and process social information, and how is this reflected in brain function and structure?

What are the unique ways in which racism affects these processes? How can this contribute to health outcomes?

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How can we use technology to make treatment easier to engage in and more effective?

These are some of the questions that we actively research in the Fani Affective Neuroscience (FANs) Laboratory. Our goal is to characterize diverse trauma responses using affective neuroscience methods, psychophysiology, functional MRI and diffusion tensor imaging. Investigating the precise nature of attention and executive function problems in the context of emotional information is at the heart of our work. We also investigate how trauma histories interact with genetic and other biological factors to increase risk for the development of PTSD.

We are developing novel interventions for trauma-exposed people, including those who experience dissociative symptoms. We examine how these interventions affect neural circuits, behavior and post-trauma symptoms.

 We are currently recruiting participants for a clinical trial testing brain mechanisms of specific mind-body interventions for trauma-exposed people who experience dissociation. Please click "Participate in Studies" or contact gtpaffectneurolab@emory.edu if you are interested in participating.