Here are some of our present and previous studies in the lab.

Communicators as Synchronizing Agents

We study how effective speakers are able to align the audience to them, and we measure alignment as synchronization of brain activity between listeners. Using MEG inter-subject correlation (ISC) methods, we investigate what makes some communicators more effective than others at driving shared neural responses.

OPM-MEG & Persuasive Speech

Our newest research direction uses next-generation optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) MEG to investigate the neural underpinnings of persuasive communication. We examine β-burst suppression at event boundaries as a marker of persuasion, combining neural measures with a collective behavioral outcome through point allocation.

Motivational Orientation & Narrative Processing

We investigate how motivational states (approach vs. avoidance) interact with emotional narrative frames (fear vs. anger) to shape neural processing. Our MEG paradigm reveals distinctive ISC synchronization profiles, particularly for the Fear-Approach condition, suggesting a dual-mode account of emotional narrative processing.

Charismatic vs. Flat Speech Delivery

A multi-study MEG investigation of how charismatic versus flat speech delivery impacts neural synchrony across listeners, examining both low-frequency (theta) and high-frequency (gamma) ISC signatures of effective communication.

Clinical Neuroscience

We investigate neural mechanisms across clinical populations:

  • ASD: Effects of oxytocin on top-down and bottom-up social perception; curvature sensitivity in adolescents with ASD.
  • PTSD: Neural oscillations during traumatic memory retrieval.
  • ADHD: High-gamma oscillations as neural correlates, examined through MEG crossover placebo-controlled design.
  • Depression: Default mode network connectivity disruption in children of mothers with depression.

Empathy & Intergroup Relations

Using MEG, we study the neural development of empathy in the context of caregiving, early trauma, and intergroup conflict. This work spans from individual-level empathic processing to group-level peace-building interventions.