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Timothy J. Strauman

Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
Psychology & Neuroscience
Duke Box 90086, Durham, NC 27708-0086
316 Reuben-Cooke Building, Durham, NC 27708
Office hours By appointment; please email to arrange a time to meet.  

Overview


Professor Strauman's research focuses on the psychological and neurobiological processes that enable self-regulation, conceptualized in terms of a cognitive/motivational perspective, as well as the relation between self-regulation and affect. Particular areas of emphasis include: (1) conceptualizing self-regulation in terms of brain/behavior motivational systems; (2) the role of self-regulatory cognitive processes in vulnerability to depression and other disorders; (3) the impact of treatments for depression, such as psychotherapy and medication, on self-regulatory function and dysfunction in depression; (4) how normative and non-normative socialization patterns influence the development of self-regulatory systems; (5) the contributory roles of self-regulation, affect, and psychopathology in determining immunologically-mediated susceptibility to illness; (6) development of novel multi-component treatments for depression targeting self-regulatory dysfunction; (7) utilization of brain imaging techniques to test hypotheses concerning self-regulation, including the nature and function of hypothetical regulatory systems and characterizing the breakdowns in self-regulation that lead to and accompany depression.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience · 2006 - Present Psychology & Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences · 2021 - Present Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Adult Psychiatry & Psychology, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Affiliate of the Center for Brain Imaging and Analysis · 2007 - Present Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Institutes and Centers
Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences · 2008 - Present Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, University Institutes and Centers
Affiliate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society · 2014 - Present Duke Science & Society, University Initiatives & Academic Support Units
Affiliate of the Center for Child and Family Policy · 2015 - Present Center for Child and Family Policy, Sanford School of Public Policy

In the News


Published October 15, 2024
Meeting of the Minds in Two Departments
Published November 10, 2023
Combating Veterans ‘Deaths of Despair’
Published July 23, 2015
Duke Social Scientists Partner with Colleagues to Maximize Student Health

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Recent Publications


Evaluating effects of animal-assisted therapy on pediatric dental care patients: A pilot clinical trial

Journal Article Journal of the American Dental Association · June 1, 2025 Background: An estimated 6% through 22% of children have dental anxiety, which can contribute to disruptive behavior and oral health care avoidance. Evidence from medical settings indicate reductions in pain and stress after therapy dog implementation. To ... Full text Cite

A software-based observational coding approach for evaluating paediatric dental pain, anxiety, and fear.

Journal Article International journal of paediatric dentistry · March 2025 BackgroundDental practitioners desire non-pharmacological methods to alleviate anxiety, fear, and pain in children receiving dental care; high-quality evidence, however, is required to evaluate methods' efficacy.AimThis study aimed to dev ... Full text Cite

Intrinsic functional connectivity of motor and heteromodal association cortex predicts individual differences in regulatory focus.

Journal Article PNAS nexus · May 2024 Regulatory focus theory (RFT) describes two cognitive-motivational systems for goal pursuit-the promotion and prevention systems-important for self-regulation and previously implicated in vulnerability to psychopathology. According to RFT, the promotion sy ... Full text Open Access Cite
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Recent Grants


Couple Communication Skills Training for Advanced Cancer

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2020 - 2025

Duke Roybal Center

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2019 - 2025

Assessing the feasibility and acceptability of a Time Restricted Feeding intervention among older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill · 2023 - 2025

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Education, Training & Certifications


New York University · 1987 Ph.D.
The University of Chicago · 1979 M.A.
Duquesne University · 1978 B.A.