Main Research Themes in Our Laboratory

Our laboratory drives advances in FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE about neuropsychology and social cognition, including developing new ways to measure cognitive control and facial emotion perception, as well as their neural correlates (e.g., Rodrigo et al., 2014; Rodrigo, Ayaz, & Ruocco, 2016; Ruocco et al., 2014).

We progress understanding of PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND SUICIDE RISK by applying foundational knowledge from neuropsychology, social cognition and brain imaging to impulsive-spectrum diagnoses, including personality disorders (especially borderline personality disorder; e.g., Daros et al., 2013; Ruocco et al., 2013; Ruocco & Carcone, 2016) and alcohol- and substance-related disorders (e.g., Coelho et al., 2023; Koudys et al., 2023; Koudys & Ruocco, 2020), and self-harming behaviours (e.g., Williams et al., 2015). We are also among the first investigators to study the neurobiology of alternative dimensional frameworks for diagnosing personality disorders (e.g., Traynor et al., 2023; Wrege et al., 2021).

Our research seeks to reveal a MECHANISTIC UNDERSTANDING of the factors that give rise to psychopathology and suicide risk, and impact cognition and the brain. This work has focused on the association of cumulative lifetime stress with personality psychopathology and depression (e.g., Carcone et al., 2022), including neuroendoimmune pathways between childhood stress and adulthood depression (e.g., Gardhouse et al., 2021).

Leveraging the knowledge gained from our understanding of cognition and the brain in psychopathology and suicide risk, our laboratory conducts collaborative studies with other research teams on RESEARCH SUPPORTED TREATMENTS. We have shown that psychotherapies designed to treat borderline personality disorder improve cognitive deficits and alter brain regions needed for impulse control (e.g., Ruocco et al., 2016; Thomsen et al., 2017; Traynor et al., 2023). Our research on non-invasive brain stimulation has shown promise for magnetic seizure therapy combined with dialectical behaviour therapy to acutely alleviate suicidal ideation and depression in people with borderline personality disorder (Traynor et al., 2023).