The research goals of White Laboratory of Affective Neuroscience are threefold: To understand 1) the neural foundations of trait and state emotion, 2) mechanisms of vulnerability and resilience to substance use, misuse, and dependence, and 3) brain systems contributing to universal human rights domains of agency, freedom from want, freedom from fear, uniqueness, and unconditionality.

We use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate these topics.  Structural imaging (sMRI) provides information about brain anatomy.  Functional imaging (fMRI) provides information about brain activation and deactivation responses to stimuli.  Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) provides information about compounds in brain tissue.  These neuroimaging methods provide information on structure, function and metabolic processes.