Michael Santo Gaffrey | Scholars@Duke

Michael Santo Gaffrey
Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience

Michael S. Gaffrey, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at Duke University in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience. He is also Director of Duke’s Early Experience and the Developing Brain (DEED) lab. He received his PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in developmental clinical and affective neuroscience at the Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Gaffrey has also completed advanced training in infant mental health practice and policy through the ZERO-TO-THREE Leadership Development Institute.

Dr. Gaffrey is firmly committed to studying, treating, and advocating for the health and well-being of vulnerable infants and young children. To this end, his research endeavors include the use of behavioral and neuroimaging methodologies to better understand biological pathways underlying risk and resilience to early life stress and related environmental challenges. He is also actively involved in using the tools of developmental neuroscience to better understand how preventive intervention programs targeting infants at risk for negative socioemotional outcomes, including depression and autism spectrum disorder, can be used more effectively. Through the integration of clinical practice and innovative research, Dr. Gaffrey hopes to reduce the impact of risk factors that contribute to unfavorable health outcomes for vulnerable infants and families. Furthermore, Dr. Gaffrey believes we can better foster healthy environments for growing children and ensure the well-being of all infants and families by bringing objective research and practice-based knowledge to policy and public arenas.

Current Research Interests

Translational Developmental Neuroscience
Psychedelic Science

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Psychology & Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2018
Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, University Institutes and Centers 2018
Member of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences 2018

Contact Information

316A Reuben-Cooke Building, Box 90086, Durham, NC 27705
316A Soc Psych Bldg, Box 90086, Durham, NC 27708
michael.gaffrey@duke.edu
Duke Early Experience and the Developing Brain Lab (DEED)

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 2009
- M.A., San Diego State University 2004
- B.A., University of Wisconsin - Madison 1997
Medical Licensure
- 2010039559. Missouri. 2013
Previous Appointments & Affiliations
- Scholar In Residence of Psychology and Neuroscience, Psychology & Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2018
Leadership & Clinical Positions at Duke
- Director, Duke Early Experience and the Developing Brain Lab
Expertise
Subject Headings
Research
Selected Grants
- Neurodevelopmental trajectories of reward processing in very early emerging risk for depression awarded by National Institutes of Health 2018 - 2022
- A High-Performance 3T MRI for Brain Imaging awarded by National Institutes of Health 2021 - 2022
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Academic Articles
  - Bagdasarov, Armen, Kenneth Roberts, Lucie Bréchet, Denis Brunet, Christoph M. Michel, and Michael S. Gaffrey. “Spatiotemporal dynamics of EEG microstates in four- to eight-year-old children: Age- and sex-related effects.” Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience 57 (July 12, 2022): 101134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101134.
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  - Gaffrey, Michael S. “Editorial: Shedding Light on the Early Neurobiological Roots of Infant Temperament and Risk for Anxiety.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 60, no. 9 (September 2021): 1069–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2021.03.008.
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  - Fowler, Carina H., Ryan Bogdan, and Michael S. Gaffrey. “Stress-induced cortisol response is associated with right amygdala volume in early childhood.” Neurobiology of Stress 14 (May 2021): 100329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100329.
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  - Gaffrey, Michael S., Deanna M. Barch, Joan L. Luby, and Steven E. Petersen. “Amygdala Functional Connectivity Is Associated With Emotion Regulation and Amygdala Reactivity in 4- to 6-Year-Olds.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 60, no. 1 (January 2021): 176–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2020.01.024.
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  - Donohue, Meghan Rose, Rebecca Tillman, Deanna M. Barch, Joan Luby, and Michael S. Gaffrey. “Cortical thinning in preschoolers with maladaptive guilt.” Psychiatry Research. Neuroimaging 305 (November 2020): 111195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2020.111195.
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  - Gaffrey, Michael S., Sarah Markert, and Chen Yu. “Social origins of self-regulated attention during infancy and their disruption in autism spectrum disorder: Implications for early intervention.” Development and Psychopathology 32, no. 4 (October 2020): 1362–74. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954579420000796.
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  - Somerville, Leah H., Susan Y. Bookheimer, Randy L. Buckner, Gregory C. Burgess, Sandra W. Curtiss, Mirella Dapretto, Jennifer Stine Elam, et al. “The Lifespan Human Connectome Project in Development: A large-scale study of brain connectivity development in 5-21 year olds.” Neuroimage 183 (December 2018): 456–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.08.050.
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  - Gaffrey, Michael S., Rebecca Tillman, Deanna M. Barch, and Joan L. Luby. “Continuity and stability of preschool depression from childhood through adolescence and following the onset of puberty.” Comprehensive Psychiatry 86 (October 2018): 39–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2018.07.010.
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  - Gaffrey, Michael S., Deanna M. Barch, Ryan Bogdan, Katrina Farris, Steven E. Petersen, and Joan L. Luby. “Amygdala Reward Reactivity Mediates the Association Between Preschool Stress Response and Depression Severity.” Biological Psychiatry 83, no. 2 (January 2018): 128–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.08.020.
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  - Gaffrey, Michael S., Deanna M. Barch, and Joan L. Luby. “Amygdala reactivity to sad faces in preschool children: An early neural marker of persistent negative affect.” Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience 17 (February 2016): 94–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2015.12.015.
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  - Sylvester, Chad M., James J. Hudziak, Michael S. Gaffrey, Deanna M. Barch, and Joan L. Luby. “Stimulus-Driven Attention, Threat Bias, and Sad Bias in Youth with a History of an Anxiety Disorder or Depression.” Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 44, no. 2 (February 2016): 219–31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-015-9988-8.
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  - Pagliaccio, David, Joan L. Luby, Ryan Bogdan, Arpana Agrawal, Michael S. Gaffrey, Andrew C. Belden, Kelly N. Botteron, Michael P. Harms, and Deanna M. Barch. “Amygdala functional connectivity, HPA axis genetic variation, and life stress in children and relations to anxiety and emotion regulation.” Journal of Abnormal Psychology 124, no. 4 (November 2015): 817–33. https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000094.
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  - Pagliaccio, David, Joan L. Luby, Ryan Bogdan, Arpana Agrawal, Michael S. Gaffrey, Andrew C. Belden, Kelly N. Botteron, Michael P. Harms, and Deanna M. Barch. “HPA axis genetic variation, pubertal status, and sex interact to predict amygdala and hippocampus responses to negative emotional faces in school-age children.” Neuroimage 109 (April 2015): 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.01.017.
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  - Luby, Joan L., Michael S. Gaffrey, Rebecca Tillman, Laura M. April, and Andy C. Belden. “Trajectories of preschool disorders to full DSM depression at school age and early adolescence: continuity of preschool depression.” The American Journal of Psychiatry 171, no. 7 (July 2014): 768–76. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.13091198.
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  - Bogdan, Ryan, Arpana Agrawal, Michael S. Gaffrey, Rebecca Tillman, and Joan L. Luby. “Serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) genotype and stressful life events interact to predict preschool-onset depression: a replication and developmental extension.” Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines 55, no. 5 (May 2014): 448–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12142.
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  - Pagliaccio, David, Joan L. Luby, Ryan Bogdan, Arpana Agrawal, Michael S. Gaffrey, Andrew C. Belden, Kelly N. Botteron, Michael P. Harms, and Deanna M. Barch. “Stress-system genes and life stress predict cortisol levels and amygdala and hippocampal volumes in children.” Neuropsychopharmacology : Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology 39, no. 5 (April 2014): 1245–53. https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2013.327.
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  - Pagliaccio, David, Joan L. Luby, Michael S. Gaffrey, Andrew C. Belden, Kelly N. Botteron, Michael P. Harms, and Deanna M. Barch. “Functional brain activation to emotional and nonemotional faces in healthy children: evidence for developmentally undifferentiated amygdala function during the school-age period.” Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience 13, no. 4 (December 2013): 771–89. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-013-0167-5.
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  - Gaffrey, Michael S., Deanna M. Barch, Janet Singer, Rivfka Shenoy, and Joan L. Luby. “Disrupted amygdala reactivity in depressed 4- to 6-year-old children.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 52, no. 7 (July 2013): 737–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2013.04.009.
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  - Gaffrey, Michael S., Joan L. Luby, and Deanna M. Barch. “Towards the study of functional brain development in depression: an Interactive Specialization approach.” Neurobiology of Disease 52 (April 2013): 38–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2012.06.012.
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  - Suzuki, Hideo, Kelly N. Botteron, Joan L. Luby, Andy C. Belden, Michael S. Gaffrey, Casey M. Babb, Tomoyuki Nishino, Michael I. Miller, J Tilak Ratnanather, and Deanna M. Barch. “Structural-functional correlations between hippocampal volume and cortico-limbic emotional responses in depressed children.” Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience 13, no. 1 (March 2013): 135–51. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-012-0121-y.
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  - Barch, Deanna M., Michael S. Gaffrey, Kelly N. Botteron, Andrew C. Belden, and Joan L. Luby. “Functional brain activation to emotionally valenced faces in school-aged children with a history of preschool-onset major depression.” Biological Psychiatry 72, no. 12 (December 2012): 1035–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.06.009.
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  - Belden, Andy C., Michael S. Gaffrey, and Joan L. Luby. “Relational aggression in children with preschool-onset psychiatric disorders.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 51, no. 9 (September 2012): 889–901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2012.06.018.
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  - Gaffrey, Michael S., Joan L. Luby, Kelly Botteron, Grega Repovš, and Deanna M. Barch. “Default mode network connectivity in children with a history of preschool onset depression.” Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines 53, no. 9 (September 2012): 964–72. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2012.02552.x.
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  - Shen, Mark D., Patricia Shih, Birgit Öttl, Brandon Keehn, Kelly M. Leyden, Michael S. Gaffrey, and Ralph-Axel Müller. “Atypical lexicosemantic function of extrastriate cortex in autism spectrum disorder: evidence from functional and effective connectivity.” Neuroimage 62, no. 3 (September 2012): 1780–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.06.008.
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  - Luby, Joan L., Deanna M. Barch, Andy Belden, Michael S. Gaffrey, Rebecca Tillman, Casey Babb, Tomoyuki Nishino, Hideo Suzuki, and Kelly N. Botteron. “Maternal support in early childhood predicts larger hippocampal volumes at school age.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 109, no. 8 (February 2012): 2854–59. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1118003109.
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  - Fluit, Faye van der, Michael S. Gaffrey, and Bonita P. Klein-Tasman. “Social Cognition in Williams Syndrome: Relations between Performance on the Social Attribution Task and Cognitive and Behavioral Characteristics.” Frontiers in Psychology 3 (January 2012): 197. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00197.
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  - Gaffrey, Michael S., Andy C. Belden, and Joan L. Luby. “The 2-week duration criterion and severity and course of early childhood depression: implications for nosology.” Journal of Affective Disorders 133, no. 3 (October 2011): 537–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2011.04.056.
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  - Gaffrey, Michael S., Rivfka Shenoy, and Joan L. Luby. “Effects of Stimulants and SSRIs on Brain Function in Children: Emerging Clues from fMRI Studies.” Child & Adolescent Psychopharmacology News 16, no. 5 (October 2011): 3–10. https://doi.org/10.1521/capn.2011.16.5.3.
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  - Luking, Katherine R., Grega Repovs, Andy C. Belden, Michael S. Gaffrey, Kelly N. Botteron, Joan L. Luby, and Deanna M. Barch. “Functional connectivity of the amygdala in early-childhood-onset depression.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 50, no. 10 (October 2011): 1027-41.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2011.07.019.
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  - Gaffrey, Michael S., Joan L. Luby, Andy C. Belden, Jonathan S. Hirshberg, Jennifer Volsch, and Deanna M. Barch. “Association between depression severity and amygdala reactivity during sad face viewing in depressed preschoolers: an fMRI study.” Journal of Affective Disorders 129, no. 1–3 (March 2011): 364–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2010.08.031.
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  - Gaffrey, Michael S., Joan L. Luby, Grega Repovš, Andy C. Belden, Kelly N. Botteron, Katherine R. Luking, and Deanna M. Barch. “Subgenual cingulate connectivity in children with a history of preschool-depression.” Neuroreport 21, no. 18 (December 2010): 1182–88. https://doi.org/10.1097/wnr.0b013e32834127eb.
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  - Shih, Patricia, Mark Shen, Birgit Ottl, Brandon Keehn, Michael S. Gaffrey, and Ralph-Axel Müller. “Atypical network connectivity for imitation in autism spectrum disorder.” Neuropsychologia 48, no. 10 (August 2010): 2931–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.05.035.
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  - Gallo, Frank J., Bonita P. Klein-Tasman, Michael S. Gaffrey, and Phillip Curran. “Expecting the worst: observations of reactivity to sound in young children with Williams syndrome.” Research in Developmental Disabilities 29, no. 6 (November 2008): 567–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2007.09.003.
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  - Gaffrey, M. S., N. M. Kleinhans, F. Haist, N. Akshoomoff, A. Campbell, E. Courchesne, and R. A. Müller. “Erratum to "Atypical participation of visual cortex during word processing in autism: An fMRI study of semantic decision" [Neuropsychologia 45 (2007) 1672-1684] (DOI:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.01.008).” Neuropsychologia 45, no. 11 (June 25, 2007): 2644. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.04.014.
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  - Gaffrey, Michael S., Natalia M. Kleinhans, Frank Haist, Natacha Akshoomoff, Ashley Campbell, Eric Courchesne, and Ralph-Axel Müller. “Atypical [corrected] participation of visual cortex during word processing in autism: an fMRI study of semantic decision.” Neuropsychologia 45, no. 8 (April 2007): 1672–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.01.008.
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  - Kemmotsu, Nobuko, Michele E. Villalobos, Michael S. Gaffrey, Eric Courchesne, and Ralph-Axel Müller. “Activity and functional connectivity of inferior frontal cortex associated with response conflict.” Brain Research. Cognitive Brain Research 24, no. 2 (July 2005): 335–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogbrainres.2005.02.015.
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- Conference Papers
  - Gaffrey, Michael S., Deanna M. Barch, and Joan L. Luby. “A RESTING STATE FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY STUDY OF THE DEFAULT MODE NETWORK IN DEPRESSED PRESCHOOLERS.” In Psychophysiology, 49:S4–S4. WILEY-BLACKWELL, 2012.
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- Preprints
  - Fowler, Carina Hilary, Armen Bagdasarov, Nicolas Leonardo Camacho, Aaron Reuben, and Michael Gaffrey. “Toxicant exposure and the developing brain: A systematic review of the structural and functional MRI literature.” PsyArXiv, 2022. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/cfz2a.
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Teaching & Mentoring
Recent Courses
Advising & Mentoring
Available to mentor:
- PhD
Scholarly, Clinical, & Service Activities
Outreach & Engaged Scholarship

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Education, Training, & Certifications

Medical Licensure

Previous Appointments & Affiliations

Leadership & Clinical Positions at Duke

Subject Headings

Selected Grants

Selected Publications

Academic Articles

Conference Papers

Preprints

Recent Courses

Advising & Mentoring

Available to mentor:

Outreach & Engaged Scholarship