Our mission is to produce high-quality translational research that reduces the burden of mood disorders on children, adolescents, parents, and families.

Our research examines social and emotional development and the ways in which alterations in emotion contribute to the development of mood disorders. We focus on research that can be translated to improve intervention and prevention efforts.

We study a range of emotional processes, including reward responsiveness, emotion regulation, and social processing.

The Mood, Emotion & Development Lab is directed by Dr. Autumn Kujawa and housed in the Department of Psychology & Human Development on the Peabody Campus of Vanderbilt University.

Recent Publications

Featured
Reduced reward responsiveness and depression vulnerability: Consideration of social contexts and implications for intervention

Kujawa, A. (2024). Psychophysiology, 61, e14528.

The effects of stress on reward responsiveness: A systematic review and preliminary meta-analysis of the event-related potential literature

Pegg, S., & Kujawa, A. (2024). Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience, 24, 42-59.

Neural markers of emotion regulation difficulties in adolescent depression and risk for depression

Dickey, L., Dao, A., Pegg, S., & Kujawa, A. (2024). Journal of Mood & Anxiety Disorders, 5, 100051.

Participate

Interested in participating in our studies?

Our work aims to reduce the burden of mood and behavior disorders on children, adolescents, adults, and families. We are so grateful for our research participants and their families who make this work possible. We are currently looking for volunteers for several studies.

Join Our Team

Our lab is a good fit for students with interests in neuroscience and mental health who have experience working with children, adolescents, and/or pregnant people.