Overview
Research in my laboratory investigates the brain mechanisms underlying economic and social decision making; collectively, this research falls into the field of “decision neuroscience” or "neuroeconomics". My laboratory uses fMRI to probe brain function, behavioral assays to characterize individual differences, and other physiological methods (e.g., eye tracking, pharmacological manipulation, genetics) to link brain and behavior. Concurrent with research on basic processes, my laboratory has also investigated the application of new analysis methods for fMRI data, including functional connectivity analyses, pattern classification analyses, and combinatoric multivariate approaches. We have also been applying computational methods to problems in behavioral economics and consumer decision making.
I have also been very active in outreach, mentorship, and educational activities; as examples, I am lead author on the textbook Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Sinauer Associates; 3rd edition in 2014), I teach Fundamentals of Decision Science, Decision Neuroscience and Neuroethics, and many of my postdoctoral and graduate trainees now lead research laboratories of their own.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Publications
No Spoilers, Please!: Curiosity makes people hungry for knowledge-but not always in a hurry.
Journal Article Scientific American · September 2024 Full text CiteCuriosity evolves as information unfolds.
Journal Article Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · October 24, 2023 Featured Publication When people feel curious, they often seek information to resolve their curiosity. Reaching resolution, however, does not always occur in a single step but instead may follow the accumulation of information over time. Here, we investigated changes in curios ... Full text Link to item CiteEyes on the account size: Interactions between attention and budget in consumer choice
Journal Article Journal of Economic Psychology · August 1, 2023 Featured Publication The context surrounding a consumer decision, such as one's overall budget available for purchases, can exert a strong effect on the subjective value of a product. Across three eye-tracking studies, we explore the attentional processes through which budget ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
Neurobiology Training Program
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2029Duke University Psychiatry Physician-Scientist Residency Training Program
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2029Mechanisms Regulating Complex Social Behavior
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of Pennsylvania · 2016 - 2026View All Grants