A hallmark of the human condition is the experience of dynamically shifting affective and cognitive states, which color our everyday lives, sculpt sensory information processing and inform the selection of behavioral goals.
Dr. Regina Lapate’s laboratory (the LEAP Neuro Lab) investigates the neural mechanisms underlying emotion-cognition interactions with a focus on cognitive control, temporal memory, and adaptive emotion. Her lab examines questions such as:
- Â What neural mechanisms promote adaptive responses to emotional events?
- Â How do neural representations in distinct prefrontal regions modulate goal-directed behavior?
- Â How do emotional responses impact the neural coding of time and temporal memory?
- Â Do temporal coding dynamics influence the dynamics of emotion?
- Â What are the neural bases and function of conscious awareness?
To answer these questions, her lab uses a multimodal approach that emphasizes causal inference, and includes recordings of electroencephalography, peripheral physiology, and advanced functional neuroimaging—often combined with behavioral assays and analyses of individual differences. The long-term goal of her research program is to uncover basic mechanisms underlying function and dysfunction in emotion generation and regulation that promote resilience and are at the core of mood, anxiety, and addiction disorders—therefore ultimately informing their optimal intervention.
Key Research Areas:
Emotion regulation, Cognitive control, Temporal memory, Prefrontal cortex, Amygdala, TMS, fMRI
