Shawn Christ , PhD
- Professor Psychological Sciences
Research
- Accepting new advisees Is accepting new doctoral advisees
Areas of expertise
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Research Summary
Dr. Shawn Christ leads the Clinical Neuropsychology Lab (CNL), which focuses on neurologic and cognitive processes in children and adults with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and phenylketonuria (PKU). Methods utilized include behavioral measures, patient-reported outcomes, and neuroimaging techniques (fMRI, sMRI, DTI).
The CNL primarily aims to increase understanding of the cognitive and neural processes underlying typical and atypical development. As such, much of the work focuses on the development of cognitive abilities in children and adults with neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g., autism, PKU) as well as the neurocognitive changes associated with pharmaceutical and behavioral interventions in these populations. In addition to conducting behavioral studies, we also utilize neuroimaging techniques (fMRI, sMRI, DTI) to better elucidate the neural substrates of cognition in individuals with and without early brain disruption. Some of their most recent work has focused on behavioral and brain improvements associated with treatment in individuals with PKU.