Richard J Davidson, PhD
Position title: William James & Vilas Professor of Psychology & Psychiatry

PhD, Harvard
William James & Vilas Professor of Psychology & Psychiatry
Contact Information
Waisman Center, Room T115
1500 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI 53705
608-265-8189
rjdavids@wisc.edu
Center for Healthy Minds
Research Statement
His research is broadly focused on the neural bases of emotion and emotional style and methods to promote human flourishing including meditation and related contemplative practices. His studies have included persons of all ages from birth through old age and have also included individuals with disorders of emotion such as mood and anxiety disorders and autism, as well as expert meditation practitioners with tens of thousands of hours of experience. His research uses a wide range of methods including different varieties of MRI, positron emission tomography, electroencephalography, and modern genetic and epigenetic methods.
Selected Publications
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Richter, C. G., Li, C. M., Turnbull, A., Haft, S. L., Schneider, D., Luo, J., Lima, D. P., Lin, F. V., Davidson, R. J., & Hoeft, F. (2024). Brain imaging studies of emotional well-being: a scoping review. Frontiers in psychology, 14, 1328523. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1328523
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Poublan-Couzardot, A., Lecaignard, F., Fucci, E., Davidson, R. J., Mattout, J., Lutz, A., & Abdoun, O. (2023). Time-resolved dynamic computational modeling of human EEG recordings reveals gradients of generative mechanisms for the MMN response. PLoS computational biology, 19(12), e1010557. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010557
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Chung, M. K., Azizi, T., Hanson, J. L., Alexander, A. L., Davidson, R. J., & Pollak, S. D. (2023). Altered Topological Structure of the Brain White Matter in Maltreated Children through Topological Data Analysis. ArXiv, arXiv:2304.05908v3.
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Planalp, E. M., Dowe, K. N., Alexander, A. L., Goldsmith, H. H., Davidson, R. J., & Dean, D. C., 3rd (2023). White matter microstructure predicts individual differences in infant fear (But not anger and sadness). Developmental Science, 26(3), e13340. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13340
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Birn, R. M., Dean, D. C., 3rd, Wooten, W., Planalp, E. M., Kecskemeti, S., Alexander, A. L., Goldsmith, H. H., & Davidson, R. J. (2022). Reduction of motion artifacts in functional connectivity resulting from infrequent large motion. Brain Connectivity, 12(8), 740–753. https://doi.org/10.1089/brain.2021.0133
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Wielgosz, J., Kral, T., Perlman, D. M., Mumford, J. A., Wager, T. D., Lutz, A., & Davidson, R. J. (2022). Neural signatures of pain modulation in short-term and long-term mindfulness training: A randomized active-control trial. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 179(10), 758–767. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.21020145
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Grupe, D. W., Barnes, A. L., Gresham, L., Kirvin-Quamme, A., Nord, E., Alexander, A. L., Abercrombie, H. C., Schaefer, S. M., & Davidson, R. J. (2022). Perceived stress associations with hippocampal-dependent behavior and hippocampal subfield volume. Neurobiology of Stress, 19, 100469. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100469
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Kral, T., Davis, K., Korponay, C., Hirshberg, M. J., Hoel, R., Tello, L. Y., Goldman, R. I., Rosenkranz, M. A., Lutz, A., & Davidson, R. J. (2022). Absence of structural brain changes from mindfulness-based stress reduction: Two combined randomized controlled trials. Science advances, 8(20), eabk3316. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abk3316
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Liu, G., Zhang, N., Teoh, J. Y., Egan, C., Zeffiro, T. A., Davidson, R. J., & Quevedo, K. (2022). Self-compassion and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activity during sad self-face recognition in depressed adolescents. Psychological medicine, 52(5), 864–873. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291720002482
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Pedersen, W. S., Dean, D. C., Adluru, N., Gresham, L. K., Lee, S. D., Kelly, M. P., Mumford, J. A., Davidson, R. J., & Schaefer, S. M. (2022). Individual variation in white matter microstructure is related to better recovery from negative stimuli. Emotion (Washington, D.C.), 22(2), 244–257. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000996
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Rosenkranz, M. A., Dean, D. C., 3rd, Bendlin, B. B., Jarjour, N. N., Esnault, S., Zetterberg, H., Heslegrave, A., Evans, M. D., Davidson, R. J., & Busse, W. W. (2022). Neuroimaging and biomarker evidence of neurodegeneration in asthma. The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology, 149(2), 589–598.e6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2021.09.010
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Rosenkranz, M. A., Esnault, S., Gresham, L., Davidson, R. J., Christian, B. T., Jarjour, N. N., & Busse, W. W. (2022). Role of amygdala in stress-induced upregulation of airway IL-1 signaling in asthma. Biological psychology, 167, 108226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108226
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Dean, D. C., 3rd, Madrid, A., Planalp, E. M., Moody, J. F., Papale, L. A., Knobel, K. M., Wood, E. K., McAdams, R. M., Coe, C. L., Hill Goldsmith, H., Davidson, R. J., Alisch, R. S., & Kling, P. J. (2021). Cord blood DNA methylation modifications in infants are associated with white matter microstructure in the context of prenatal maternal depression and anxiety. Scientific reports, 11(1), 12181. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-91642-0
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Dowe, K. N., Planalp, E. M., Dean, D. C., 3rd, Alexander, A. L., Davidson, R. J., & Goldsmith, H. H. (2020). Early microstructure of white matter associated with infant attention. Developmental cognitive neuroscience, 45, 100815. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100815
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Grupe DW, Imhoff-Smith T, Wielgosz J, Nitschke JB, Davidson RJ. (2020). A common neural substrate for elevated PTSD symptoms and reduced pulse rate variability in combat-exposed veterans. Psychophysiology, 57(1):e13352. doi: 10.1111/psyp.13352.
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Grupe DW, Hushek BA, Davis K, Schoen AJ, Wielgosz J, Nitschke JB, Davidson RJ. (2019). Elevated perceived threat is associated with reduced hippocampal volume in combat veterans. Science Reports, 9(1):14888. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-51533-x.
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Guerrero JM, Adluru N, Bendlin BB, Goldsmith HH, Schaefer SM, Davidson RJ, Kecskemeti SR, Zhang H, Alexander AL. (2019). Optimizing the intrinsic parallel diffusivity in NODDI: An extensive empirical evaluation. PLoS One. 14(9):e0217118. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217118.
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Adluru N, Luo Z, Van Hulle CA, Schoen AJ, Davidson RJ, Alexander AL, Goldsmith HH. (2019). Anxiety-related experience-dependent white matter structural differences in adolescence: A monozygotic twin difference approach. Science Reports, 18;7(1):8749. PMID: 28821748. PMCID: PMC5562810. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08107-6
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Dean DC 3rd, Planalp EM, Wooten W, Kecskemeti SR, Adluru N, Schmidt CK, Frye C, Birn RM, Burghy CA, Schmidt NL, Styner MA, Short SJ, Kalin NH, Goldsmith HH, Alexander AL, Davidson RJ. (2019). Association of Prenatal Maternal Depression and Anxiety Symptoms With Infant White Matter Microstructure. JAMA Pediatrics, 172(10):973-981. PMID: 30177999. PMCID: PMC6190835. DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.2132
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Dean DC 3rd, Planalp EM, Wooten W, Schmidt CK, Kecskemeti SR, Frye C, Schmidt NL, Goldsmith HH, Alexander AL, Davidson RJ. (2018). Investigation of brain structure in the 1-month infant. Brain Structure and Function, 223(4):1953-1970. doi: 10.1007/s00429-017-1600-2.
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Alisch RS, Van Hulle C, Chopra P, Bhattacharyya A, Zhang SC, Davidson RJ, Kalin NH, Goldsmith HH. (2017). A multi-dimensional characterization of anxiety in monozygotic twin pairs reveals susceptibility loci in humans. Translational Psychiatry, 7(12):1282. PMCID: PMC5802687. DOI: 10.1038/s41398-017-0047-9
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Brooker RJ, Canen MJ, Davidson RJ, Hill Goldsmith H. (2017). Short- and long-term stability of alpha asymmetry in infants: Baseline and affective measures. Psychophysiology, 54(8):1100-1109. doi: 10.1111/psyp.12866.
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Chung MK, Hanson JL, Adluru N, Alexander AL, Davidson RJ, Pollak SD. (2017). Integrative Structural Brain Network Analysis in Diffusion Tensor Imaging. Brain Connect, 7(6):331-346. doi: 10.1089/brain.2016.0481.
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Hanson JL, van den Bos W, Roeber BJ, Rudolph KD, Davidson RJ, Pollak SD. (2017). Early adversity and learning: implications for typical and atypical behavioral development. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 58(7):770-778. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.12694.
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Shackman AJ, Fox AS, Oler JA, Shelton SE, Oakes TR, Davidson RJ, Kalin NH. (2017). Heightened extended amygdala metabolism following threat characterizes the early phenotypic risk to develop anxiety-related psychopathology. Molecular Psychiatry, 22(5):724-732. doi: 10.1038/mp.2016.132.
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Hostinar CE, Davidson RJ, Graham EK, Mroczek DK, Lachman ME, Seeman TE, van Reekum CM, Miller GE. (2017). Frontal brain asymmetry, childhood maltreatment, and low-grade inflammation at midlife. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 75:152-163. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.10.026.
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Oler JA, Tromp DP, Fox AS, Kovner R, Davidson RJ, Alexander AL, McFarlin DR, Birn RM, E Berg B, deCampo DM, Kalin NH, Fudge JL. (2017). Connectivity between the central nucleus of the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in the non-human primate: neuronal tract tracing and developmental neuroimaging studies. Brain Structure & Function, 222(1):21-39. doi: 10.1007/s00429-016-1198-9.
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Burghy CA, Fox ME, Cornejo MD, Stodola DE, Sommerfeldt SL, Westbrook CA, Van Hulle C, Schmidt NL, Goldsmith HH, Davidson RJ, Birn RM. (2016). Experience-Driven Differences in Childhood Cortisol Predict Affect-Relevant Brain Function and Coping in Adolescent Monozygotic Twins. Science Reports, 6:37081. doi: 10.1038/srep37081.
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Rosenkranz MA, Esnault S, Christian BT, Crisafi G, Gresham LK, Higgins AT, Moore MN, Moore SM, Weng HY, Salk RH, Busse WW, Davidson RJ. (2016) Mind-body interactions in the regulation of airway inflammation in asthma: A PET study of acute and chronic stress. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 58:18-30.
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Brooker RJ, Davidson RJ, Goldsmith HH. (2016) Maternal negative affect during infancy is linked to disrupted patterns of diurnal cortisol and alpha asymmetry across contexts during childhood. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 142:274-90. doi: 10.1016/j.jecp.2015.08.011.
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Dahl CJ, Lutz A, Davidson RJ. (2016) Cognitive Processes Are Central in Compassion Meditation. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. 20(3):161-2. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.12.005.
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Brooker RJ, Phelps RA, Davidson RJ, Goldsmith HH. (2016) Context differences in delta beta coupling are associated with neuroendocrine reactivity in infants. Developmental Psychobiology. 58(3):406-18. doi: 10.1002/dev.21381.
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Hanson JL, Nacewicz BM, Sutterer MJ, Cayo AA, Schaefer SM, Rudolph KD, Shirtcliff EA, Pollak SD, Davidson RJ. (2015) Behavioral Problems After Early Life Stress: Contributions of the Hippocampus and Amygdala. Biological Psychiatry. 15;77(4):314-23. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.04.020.
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Heller AS, Fox AS, Wing EK, McQuisition KM, Vack NJ, Davidson RJ. (2015) The Neurodynamics of Affect in the Laboratory Predicts Persistence of Real-World Emotional Responses. Journal of Neuroscience. 22;35(29):10503-9. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0569-15.2015.
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Caldwell JZ, Armstrong JM, Hanson JL, Sutterer MJ, Stodola DE, Koenigs M, Kalin NH, Essex MJ, Davidson RJ. (2015) Preschool externalizing behavior predicts gender-specific variation in adolescent neural structure. PLoS One. 6;10(2):e0117453. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117453.
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Richey JA, Damiano CR, Sabatino A, Rittenberg A, Petty C, Bizzell J, Voyvodic J, Heller AS, Coffman MC, Smoski M, Davidson RJ, Dichter GS. (2015) Neural Mechanisms of Emotion Regulation in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 45(11):3409-23. doi: 10.1007/s10803-015-2359-z.
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Salomons TV, Nusslock R, Detloff A, Johnstone T, Davidson RJ. (2015) Neural emotion regulation circuitry underlying anxiolytic effects of perceived control over pain. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 27(2):222-33. doi: 10.1162/jocn_a_00702.
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Williams LE, Oler JA, Fox AS, McFarlin DR, Rogers GM, Jesson MA, Davidson RJ, Pine DS, Kalin NH. (2015) Fear of the unknown: uncertain anticipation reveals amygdala alterations in childhood anxiety disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology. 40(6):1428-35. doi: 10.1038/npp.2014.328.
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Pasha Hosseinbor A, Chung MK, Koay CG, Schaefer SM, van Reekum CM, Schmitz LP, Sutterer M, Alexander AL, Davidson RJ. (2015) 4D hyperspherical harmonic (HyperSPHARM) representation of surface anatomy: A holistic treatment of multiple disconnected anatomical structures. Medical Image Analysis. 22(1):89-101. doi: 10.1016/j.media.2015.02.004.
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Fox AS, Oler JA, Shackman AJ, Shelton SE, Raveendran M, McKay DR, Converse AK, Alexander A, Davidson RJ, Blangero J, Rogers J, Kalin NH. (2015) Intergenerational neural mediators of early-life anxious temperament. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. 21;112(29):9118-22. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1508593112.
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Converse AK, Ahlers EO, Travers BG, Davidson RJ. (2014) Tai chi training reduces self-report of inattention in healthy young adults. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 27;8:13.
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Vendlinski MK, Javaras KN, Van Hulle CA, Lemery-Chalfant K, Maier R, Davidson RJ, Goldsmith HH. (2014) Relative influence of genetics and shared environment on child mental health symptoms depends on comorbidity. PLoS One. 31;9(7):e103080.
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Brooker RJ, Buss KA, Lemery-Chalfant K, Aksan N, Davidson RJ, Goldsmith HH. (2014) Profiles of observed infant anger predict preschool behavior problems: Moderation by life stress. Developmental Psychology. 50(10):2343-52.
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Tomer R, Slagter HA, Christian BT, Fox AS, King CR, Murali D, Gluck MA, Davidson RJ. (2014) Love to win or hate to Lose? Asymmetry of dopamine D2 receptor binding predicts sensitivity to reward versus punishment. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 26(5):1039-48.
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Birn RM, Shackman AJ, Oler JA, Williams LE, McFarlin DR, Rogers GM, Shelton SE, Alexander AL, Pine DS, Slattery MJ, Davidson RJ, Fox AS, Kalin NH. (2014) Evolutionarily conserved prefrontal-amygdalar dysfunction in early-life anxiety. Molecular Psychiatry. 19(8):915-22.
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Birn RM, Shackman AJ, Oler JA, Williams LE, McFarlin DR, Rogers GM, Shelton SE, Alexander AL, Pine DS, Slattery MJ, Davidson RJ, Fox AS, Kalin NH. (2014) Extreme early-life anxiety is associated with an evolutionarily conserved reduction in the strength of intrinsic functional connectivity between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the central nucleus of the amygdala. Molecular Psychiatry. 19(8):853.
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Shackman AJ, Fox AS, Oler JA, Shelton SE, Davidson RJ, Kalin NH. (2013) Neural mechanisms underlying heterogeneity in the presentation of anxious temperament. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U S A. 9;110(15):6145-50.
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Heller AS, Johnstone T, Light SN, Peterson MJ, Kolden GG, Kalin NH, Davidson RJ. (2013) Relationships between changes in sustained fronto-striatal connectivity and positive affect in major depression resulting from antidepressant treatment. American Journal of Psychiatry. 1;170(2):197-206.
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Brooker RJ, Buss KA, Lemery-Chalfant K, Aksan N, Davidson RJ, & Goldsmith HH. (2013) The development of stranger fear in infancy and toddlerhood: Normative development, individual differences, antecedents, and outcomes. Developmental Science. 16(6):864-78.
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Rosenkranz MA, Davidson RJ, Maccoon DG, Sheridan JF, Kalin NH, Lutz A. (2013) A comparison of mindfulness-based stress reduction and an active control in modulation of neurogenic inflammation. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 27(1):174-84.
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Tomer R, Slagter HA, Christian BT, Fox AS, King CR, Murali D, Davidson RJ. (2013) Dopamine asymmetries predict orienting bias in healthy individuals. Cerebral Cortex. 23(12):2899-904.
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Hanson JL, Adluru N, Chung MK, Alexander AL, Davidson RJ, Pollak SD. (2013) Early Neglect Is Associated With Alterations in White Matter Integrity and Cognitive Functioning. Child Development. 84(5):1566-78.
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Adluru N, Hanlon BM, Lutz A, Lainhart JE, Alexander AL, Davidson RJ. (2013) Penalized Likelihood Phenotyping: Unifying Voxelwise Analyses and Multi-Voxel Pattern Analyses in Neuroimaging. Neuroinformatics. 11(2):227-47.
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Oler JA, Birn RM, Patriat R, Fox AS, Shelton SE, Burghy CA, Stodola DE, Essex MJ, Davidson RJ, Kalin NH. (2012) Evidence for coordinated functional activity within the extended amygdala of non-human and human primates. NeuroImage. Jul 16;61(4):1059-66.
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Lapate RC, Lee H, Salomons TV, van Reekum CM, Greischar LL, Davidson RJ. (2012) Amygdalar function reflects common individual differences in emotion and pain regulation success. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. Jan;24(1):148-58.
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Levinson DB, Smallwood J, Davidson RJ. (2012) Social influences on neuroplasticity: Stress and interventions to promote well-being. Psychological Science. 23(4):375-80. doi: 10.1177/0956797611431465.
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Burghy CA, Stodola DE, Ruttle PL, Molloy EK, Armstrong JM, Oler JA, Fox ME, Hayes AS, Kalin NH, Essex MJ, Davidson RJ, Birn RM. (2012) Developmental pathways to amygdala-prefrontal function and internalizing symptoms in adolescence. Nature Neuroscience. 15(12):1736-41.
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Slagter HA, Tomer R, Christian BT, Fox AS, Colzato LS, King CR, Murali D, Davidson RJ. (2012) PET evidence for a role for striatal dopamine in the attentional blink: functional implications. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 24(9):1932-40.
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Nacewicz BM, Angelos L, Dalton KM, Fischer R, Anderle MJ, Alexander AL, Davidson RJ. (2012) Reliable non-invasive measurement of human neurochemistry using proton spectroscopy with an anatomically defined amygdala-specific voxel. Neuroimage. 1;59(3):2548-59.
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Light SN, Heller AS, Johnstone T, Kolden GG, Peterson MJ, Kalin NH, Davidson RJ. (2011) Reduced right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex activity while inhibiting positive affect is associated with improvement in hedonic capacity after 8 weeks of antidepressant treatment in major depressive disorder. Biological Psychiatry. Nov 15;70(10):962-8.
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Shackman AJ, Maxwell JS, McMenamin BW, Greischar LL, Davidson RJ. (2011) Stress potentiates early and attenuates late stages of visual processing. Journal of Neuroscience. 19;31(3):1156-61.
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Abercrombie HC, Jahn AL, Davidson RJ, Kern S, Kirschbaum C, Halverson J. (2011) Cortisol’s effects on hippocampal activation in depressed patients are related to alterations in memory formation. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 45(1):15-23.
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Fox AS, Shelton SE, Oakes TR, Converse AK, Davidson RJ and Kalin NH. (2010) Orbitofrontal Cortex Lesions Alter Anxiety-Related Activity in the Primate Bed Nucleus of Stria Terminalis. Journal of Neuroscience. 30:7023-7027.
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Oler JA, Fox AS, Shelton SE, Rogers J, Dyer TD, Davidson RJ, Shelledy W, Oakes TR, Blangero J, Kalin NH. (2010) Amygdalar and hippocampal substrates of anxious temperament differ in their heritability. Nature. Aug 12;466(7308):864-8.
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Vandehey NT, Moirano JM, Converse AK, Holden JE, Mukherjee J, Murali D, Nickles RJ, Davidson RJ, Schneider ML, Christian BT. (2010) High-affinity dopamine D-2/D-3 PET radioligands F-18-fallypride and C-11-FLB457: A comparison of kinetics in extrastriatal regions using a multiple-injection protocol. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism. 30(5):994-1007.
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Oler JA, Fox AS, Shelton SE, Christian BT, Murali D, Oakes TR, Davidson RJ, Kalin NH. (2009) Serotonin transporter availability in the amygdala and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis predicts anxious temperament and brain glucose metabolic activity. Journal of Neuroscience. 12;29(32):9961-6.
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Christian BT, Vandehey NT, Fox AS, Murali D, Oakes TR, Converse AK, Nickles RJ, Shelton SE, Davidson RJ and Kalin NH. (2009) The distribution of D2/D3 receptor binding in the adolescent rhesus monkey using small animal PET imaging. Neuroimage. 44:1334-1344.
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Vandehey NT, Garell PC, Hampel JA, Murali D, Smith EM, Davidson R, Converse AK, Nickles RJ and Christian BT. (2009) PET measurement of changes in D2/D3 dopamine receptor binding in a nonhuman primate during chronic deep brain stimulation of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Journal of Neuroscience Methods. 176:129- 135.
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Christian BT, Fox AS, Oler JA, Vandehey NT, Murali D, Rogers J, Oakes TR, Shelton SE, Davidson RJ, Kalin NH. (2009) Serotonin transporter binding and genotype in the nonhuman primate brain using [C-11]DASB PET. Neuroimage. Oct 1;47(4):1230-6.
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Whalen PJ, Johnstone T, Somerville LH, Nitschke JB, Polis S, Alexander AL, Davidson RJ, Kalin NH. (2008) A functional magnetic resonance imaging predictor of treatment response to venlafaxine in generalized anxiety disorder. Biological Psychiatry. May 1;63(9):858-63.
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Kelley, DJ, Bhattacharyya A. Lahvis G, Yin JCP, Malter JS and Davidson RJ. (2008) The cyclic AMP phenotype of fragile X and autism. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 32(8):1533-43.
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Kelley DJ, Davidson RJ, Elliott JL, Lahvis GP, Yin JC, Bhattacharyya A. (2007) The cyclic AMP cascade is altered in the fragile X nervous system. PLoS One. 26;2(9):e931.