PURPOSE

We seek to understand the neural underpinnings of affective experience and expression. This endeavor requires characterization of both neuroanatomical circuits and neurochemical modulators. Our progress ultimately relies upon an informed symbiosis of psychological theory and neuroscience methods.

Goals:

  • Characterizing the anatomical trajectory of affective circuits in the brain.
  • Characterizing how psychopharmacological manipulations modulate affective experience.
  • Understanding how the function of these affective circuits is deranged in affective disorders and addiction.
  • Understanding how psycho- and pharmaco- therapies can normalize deranged affective circuits.
  • Decomposing how affective circuitry modulates decision-making and economic behavior.
  • Innovating new technologies for tracking affect dynamics.

    News:

    06/12/08: Neuron publishes spanlab's latest finding on the endowment effect.

    04/02/08: KGO radio inquires about spanlab's recent finding that nucleus accumbens activation mediates the influence of erotic stimuli on financial risk taking.

    09/15/07: Two new books on neuroeconomics prominently feature the work of spanlab! Pick up a volume by Jason Zweig or Richard Peterson (formerly of spanlab) -- both have received rave reviews.

    06/22/07: KQED's Quest radio program reports on Spanlab's research on neural predictors of purchases.

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