Social Science Research Grant

Department: Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences

Proposal: Measuring What Matters: Exploring the treatment-related expectations of caregivers in brain injury rehabilitation

Abstract: In rehabilitation for brain injury, outcome measures are used to evaluate treatment efficacy in research and to assess change-over-time in the clinic. We are engaged in a larger stakeholder-informed research project examining “what matters most” in rehabilitation for brain injury, based on the perspectives of patients with brain injury, their caregivers, and experienced rehabilitation clinicians. The proposed project will support analysis of qualitative data to characterize the perspectives of close caregivers of individuals with brain injury. Results of this study will leverage important stakeholder insights to inform the development of new outcome meas.

Department: Psychology

Proposal: Relative reliance on prior information as a potential biomarker for hallucinations and delusions

Abstract: Recent research has suggested that hallucinations and delusions, core symptoms of schizophrenia, could be caused by an over-reliance on prior information. However, results so far have been mixed, perhaps due to low test-retest reliability of the tasks used. Alternatively, hallucinations and delusions may relate to the weight on prior beliefs differently depending on the type of prior used (low-level perceptual priors or higher-level). We propose to use a combination of behavioral data, computational modelling, and brain imaging to test these hypotheses and assess the feasibility of using the relative reliance on prior information as a biomarker for hallucinations and delusions.

Department: Psychology

Proposal: Brain Imaging of Visual Snow Syndrome

Abstract: Visual snow syndrome is a common (~2% prevalence) condition characterized by constant perception of flickering specks across the visual field. The disorder was only isolated 10 years ago, and increasing knowledge of its bases is critical for developing treatment. We recently published work showing that viewing high contrast flickering noise (“TV static”) temporarily causes the snow symptom to disappear. We propose to measure neural activity before and after this manipulation, to identify brain regions producing the symptom. Results will be central to an NIH grant application, which should have considerable chance of success given the limited current state of knowledge.

Department: Psychology

Proposal: Understanding Novel Biological Risk Indicators for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD): A Pilot Twin Study

Abstract: Age-related decline in cognitive health is a pressing public health concern. Our NIA-funded program of research in community dwelling twins focuses on how late-life adult cognitive health is associated with psychosocial risks such as social isolation. These processes eventuate in increased risk for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), which, in turn, increases risk for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). In this pilot grant application, we assemble a team with expertise in neuroimaging and aging. This funding would substantially enhance the likelihood of future external funding for our research on psychosocial risks that also includes highly sensitive indicators of neural risk.

Department: Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences

Proposal: Development of a Stimulus Bank for Language Development Research

Abstract: Language acquisition research historically employs stimuli produced by homogenous university populations, primarily comprising white, cisgender young adults. Our research investigates whether children exhibit differences in social affiliation towards speakers of different genders, races, and age. To address the homogeneity in existing stimulus sets, we propose creating a database of socially diverse audio stimuli. This work is crucial yet time-consuming, involving outreach to and providing fair compensation for contributors from minoritized communities. Leveraging our expertise in stimulus database management and regulatory compliance, we aim to develop a comprehensive database to advance inclusion and diversity in language development research.

Co-Applicants: Anh Pham, Anmol Kaur, Qi Chen

Department: Psychology

Proposal: How much does feedback alter visual input?

Abstract: We are working to understand how people's expectations about a visual scene shape, or even create, their perception. During Spring 2024 we are collecting behavioral data on tasks that quantify how big-picture scene interpretation affects sensitivity to scene details. Functional MRI data will allow us to quantify the ways in which feedback from high-level brain regions changes low-level (input) visual responses. We will conduct 10 functional MRI scanning sessions during Summer 2024. The data will allow two graduate students to complete their first-year research projects and serve as key pilot data for an NIH R01 submission planned for Fall 2024.

Department: Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences

Proposal: Developing methods to measure subcortical responses in complex listening environments.

Abstract: The purpose of this application is to conduct two pilot projects that will develop optimal methods and establish the feasibility of an electroencephalography (EEG) assessment of the subcortical contributions to listening to speech in complex environments. These projects will provide critical preliminary data for an NIDCD R21 ECR grant application for the fall deadline and will provide summer support to a graduate student in my lab who comes from multiple underrepresented groups (Black, neurodiverse, LGTBQIA+).

Department: Economics

Proposal: The Nature of Despair

Abstract: This proposal requests funding to study the economic, sociological and psychological causes of `deaths of despair’ and morbidity (Case and Deaton, 2015, 2017). Our novel approach exploits (i) a comprehensive dataset that links personality traits and cognitive skills for around 80% of Finnish men—from 1982 to date—with labor market, cohabitation, and health outcomes throughout their lives, and (ii) Finland’s historic recession in the 1990s together with its government's response. We plan to develop a statistical framework to identify individual differences in propensities for despair, the cumulative impact of adverse socioeconomic events, and effective mitigation policies.

Co-Applicants: Bonnie Klimes-Dougan, Kathryn Cullen

Department: Psychology

Proposal: Dense Sampling of Neuroimaging and Behavioral Data to Identify Neural Correlates of Fluctuations in Emotional Well-Being

Abstract: The majority of psychopathology research is structured such that participants are measured at prescribed intervals, often months apart. Adolescents frequently struggle with depressive symptoms, which can change over time. While ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) can begin to capture dynamic patterns in how thoughts and feelings change over time, similar advances in neuroimaging data are lacking. This project aims to combine dense sampling of emotions using EMAs and neuroimaging data to capture dynamic patterns of change in neural connectivity and understand how changes in depressive symptoms map onto these changes in the brain.