About
The Mood, Emotion & Development (MED) Lab is directed by Dr. Autumn Kujawa and located in the Department of Psychology and Human Development on the Peabody Campus at Vanderbilt University. Our mission is to produce high-quality translational research to promote mental health and reduce the burden of mood disorders on children, adolescents, parents, and families.
Our research examines the ways in which difficulties with emotion and social processing contribute to the development of mood disorders, and how understanding of emotional development can be translated to improve intervention and prevention efforts.
Lab Research Goals
Specific goals of our research are to:
Enhance the precision of measuring emotions and social functioning across childhood and adolescence
Chart typical patterns of emotional and social processes across key developmental periods
Identify specific emotional difficulties that heighten the risk of mood disorders and how they are shaped by early experiences
Discover new targets for personalized interventions and prevention strategies to promote mental health
Lab Values & Culture
Our team is united in our mission to promote mental health in youth and families through scientific innovation. We recognize that this is a complex goal that requires diverse ideas and perspectives, strong research methods, and connections with the community.
We value:
1. Rigorous science
We know that quality science is essential to producing findings that have real world impacts. We use the strongest research methods possible in our work, often integrating multiple methods and examining the psychometric properties of our methods across development. We strive for consistency, openness, and transparency in how we apply these methods and draw conclusions.
2. Teaching and mentorship
We are committed to supporting the next generation of clinical scientists to ensure continued efforts towards high-quality translational research to advance understanding of mental health. We do so by training undergraduate, professional, and graduate students, as well as post-baccalaureate and postdoctoral researchers.
3. Collaboration
Understanding and preventing mood disorders requires teams of people with broad ranges of expertise who contribute unique perspectives and skills. We actively foster collaborations within our lab, as well as with other researchers and teams at Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and other institutions. Working together makes our research stronger.
4. Diversity and inclusion
We welcome team members from diverse backgrounds and identities. We are particularly committed to supporting and empowering trainees and scientists from marginalized groups and those traditionally underrepresented in the sciences and academia. In addition, we aim to include people from diverse backgrounds and identities in our research studies to ensure that our findings are generalizable and relevant for all.
5. Community engagement
We are grateful to members of the community who take the time to participate in our research studies. All of our work depends on you. We actively engage with and contribute to the Nashville community, volunteering our time, advocating for positive change, and sharing scientific advances.