Research
Not everyone experiences a traumatic event such as a car accident, sexual assualt, or natural disaster in the same way. Although some may recovery over time, others may continue to experience symtpoms months and even years after the traumatic event. Indeed, individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder often experience involuntary retrieval of horrific memories, including intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, and nightmares for months or even years following the trauma. We are committed to better understanding how PTSD develops, its persistence over time, and how to better tailor our clinical interventions to improve clinical outcomes.
Personalizing and Enhancing PTSD Treatment
- Helping Extinction Learning in PTSD
(HELP)
Description (R34MH087375)
We are interested in whether a medication believed to ehancing learning can shorten and strengthen learning that occurs during psychotherapy for PTSD. - Optimizing PTSD Treatments (OPT)
Description (5R01MH066347)
We are interested in understanding what treatment works for whom, focusing on the role of patient preferences, augmentation of psychotherapy with a pharmacotherapy, and biopsychosocial markers of treatment response.
Understanding the Etiology and Mainenance of PTSD
- Experimental Psychopathology Research
Description
A failure of basic inhibitory mechanisms may underlie the presence of PTSD symptoms. We are particularly interested in understanding how disrubted encoding and retrieval processes may affect posttrauma adjustments. By understanding these processes, we hope to learn more about the mechanisms uderlying both therapeutic and natural recovery. - Undergraduate Opportunities Available
(Psych 499)
Description
We typically have a number of opportunities available for undergraduate research assistants, typically between 6-9 hours per week and asking for at least a two to three quarter commitment. Please call (206) 685-3617 and, if you leave a message, clearly indicate that you are an undergraduate wanting to work in the lab.
