RESEARCH PROGRAM
Broadly, the aim of my research program is to better understand the complex interactions that take place between brain function and human behavior. More specifically, I am interested in exploring how traumatic brain injury (TBI) influences structural and functional brain processes and the consequences of these behavioral issues for clinical and non-clinical populations. See full lists of publications on the following websites:
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In August 2021 I joined the Traumatic Brain Injury and Concussion Center in the Department of Neurology at the University of Utah School of Medicine as an assistant professor on the tenure track. As a faculty member of the TBICC I am establishing a program of research that utilizes advanced neuroimaging techniques, novel intervention/treatment protocols, and a wide array of collaborations to investigate sport-related concussion in athletes of all ages.
Prior to my faculty appointment at the University of Utah, I was an advanced postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan (2019-2021). There I joined the NeuroTrauma Research Laboratory and the Michigan Concussion Center which are directed by Dr. Steven P. Broglio. Under the mentorship of Dr. Broglio, I worked on multiple projects using data from the CARE Consortium--a national concussion collaborative comprising 29 National Collegiate Athletic Association universities and military service academies that has generated the largest and most diverse set of data available for sport-related concussion. I used techniques from clinical psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and neuropsychology to study these brain-behavior relationships. Much of my work utilizes FMRI and EEG neuroimaging methodologies.
At UGA as a graduate student (2013-2019), I researched several topics of interest under the mentorship of my faculty mentor, Dr. Lawrence H. Sweet. Our work sought to elucidate the role of the brain's default network (DN) in neuronal adaptation. The DN is a relatively new phenomena about which relatively little is known despite its involvement in many of the brain's functions. Additionally, we are interested in developing valid biomarkers for CVD that can be used inside of an MRI scanner. These biomarkers may be used in assessments and outcomes research to improve the quality of life of individuals with CVD. Our research has generated significant clinical implications that may lead to better prevention and treatment education.
My affiliations with the TBICC at the University of Utah, Dr. Broglio, and Dr. Sweet and their federally funded laboratories have allowed me to establish collaborations with other leading scientists in the fields of TBI, cognitive neuroscience, and neuroimaging. In conjunction with researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin, Mass General Hospital and Harvard University, Brown University, and others, I am working on various projects that explore brain-behavior relationships in athletes across the lifespan.
My current research builds upon my previous experiences as an undergraduate research assistant at Brigham Young University (BYU). I grew to love neuroscience research while attending BYU. I saw first-hand the impact it can have on the lives of individuals and communities. I obtained an undergraduate research grant at BYU so that I could pursue a unique avenue of TBI research using EEG methodologies. Concurrently, I was heavily involved in a number of other studies that examined possible electrophysiological markers of regulative and cognitive control, the role of positive and negative affect on cognitive rehabilitation following TBI, and the neural basis of prejudice. The results from these projects have been disseminated via peer-reviewed journal publications (or are under peer review) and have contributed meaningfully to the scientific literature.