The Training Program in Emotion Research is directed by Dr. Richard J. Davidson and funded by a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Institutional National Research Service Award training grant. The program provides specialized, non-degree training for University of Wisconsin-Madison students at the pre and post-doctoral levels. A total of three (3) pre-doctoral students are supported by the grant in any given year. In addition, two (2) post-doctoral trainees are supported each year.
The major activities of the training program include participation in the annual Wisconsin Symposium on Emotion, attendance at monthly meetings of faculty and students on topics in emotion research, ethics training, as well as other relevant activities on campus. Please contact the Training Program in Emotion Research Administrator, Jane Lambert, at emotiont32grant@bi.wisc.edu for more information.
We look for diverse candidates with strong potential for future academic success, whose research interests are well aligned with those of the program and the desired faculty mentor.
Program Research Areas & Faculty
Our training program is focused on four areas of current emotion research:
- Personality, temperament, and individual and cultural differences: Lifespan developmental, genetic, cognitive and biological approaches, and human-computer interaction;
- Affective neuroscience;
- Emotion, health, and well-being; and
- Emotion and psychopathology.
Trainees may work with any of the following faculty: Brooke A. Ammerman, Reid S. Alisch, John J. Curtin, Richard J. Davidson, Simon B. Goldberg, Diane C. Gooding, Dan Grupe, Ryan J. Herringa, Matthew J. Hirshberg, Ned H. Kalin, Michael R. Koenigs, James J. Li, Ali Mohebi, João Guassi Moreira, Bilge Mutlu, Paula M. Niedenthal, Seth D. Pollak, Melissa A. Rosenkranz, Carol D. Ryff, Sarah J. Short, Alvin Thomas, Katie L. Walsh and Earlise C. Ward.
Post-doctoral Applicants
The NIMH-funded T32 Training Program in Emotion Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will have two post-doctoral training positions starting in Fall 2025 with up to three years of support. Applications are due on Friday, February 7, 2025.
Following is a list of faculty who desire post-doctoral candidates:
Dr. Dan Grupe leads the Cultivating Justice CoLaboratory at the Center for Healthy Minds. We are a community-engaged research group that conducts basic and applied research on the well-being of people and communities impacted by incarceration. Our current research focuses on 1) the impact of mindfulness practices in supporting successful transitions from prison into the community, and 2) studying the individual, relational, and community-level impacts of restorative justice programs in community and carceral settings. Candidates with interests and experiences in community-engaged scholarship, qualitative and mixed methods research, trauma-informed mindfulness interventions, incarceration and reentry, and systems transformation are encouraged to reach out to Dr. Grupe to learn more.
Dr. Ryan Herringa‘s BRAVE Lab examines developmental brain mechanisms of resilience and vulnerability in youth following traumatic events. Current and ongoing studies are placing an emphasis on neuroscience informed novel treatments to help at risk and affected youth.
Dr. João Guassi Moreira‘s Computational Developmental Neuroscience Lab studies topics that fall under the banners of affective, social, and cognitive development, and are particularly interested in phenomena related to emotion and emotion regulation, risk-taking, and other forms of decision-making. The overarching goal of this research is to better understand what drives development in everyday real-world contexts. More information about CDNLab’s research can be accessed at http://cdnlab.psych.wisc.edu/CDNlab/.
Dr. Seth Pollak will consider applications for postdoctoral scholars interested in joining the Child Emotion Research Lab. Postdocs are not expected to work on existing projects but will be supported in developing and launching (or continuing) their own programs of research. Areas of research may include the development and emergence of emotions in humans; factors that affect children’s socio-emotional learning, health, and well-being; effects of early life stress including environmental unpredictability, child poverty, and adversity; children’s exploration and mechanisms of social learning; and typical development of children’s understanding of emotion. Our experiments employ cognitive, physiological, neuroimaging, behavioral, and computational methods. Applicants must have prior research experience with infants, children, or adolescence and should contact Dr. Pollak directly prior to applying.
Dr. Melissa Rosenkranz: The research in my lab is focused on understanding the underlying biology of the mind-brain-body interactions through which stress, emotion, and the immune system interact, using a wide range of brain imaging and biomolecular tools. Contemplative interventions are an important aspect of this work, where the neural processing of stress and emotion are examined as modifiable targets for treatment of chronic inflammation. Current and ongoing work in the Rosenkranz lab addresses questions related to the impact of chronic, systemic inflammation on brain health, long-term cognitive function, and risk for the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Applications
Please send the following items by Friday, February 7, 2025, to the Training Program in Emotion Research Administrator, Ms. Jane Lambert, at: EmotionT32Grant@bi.wisc.edu
- Cover letter: Identify the program faculty member(s) with whom you wish to train.
- CV
- Research Statement
- Three letters of reference (These can be submitted separately by the letter writers themselves and will be accepted until Thursday, February 13, 2025.)
Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible to apply. We are an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer.
Pre-doctoral Information
UW-Madison faculty can nominate pre-doctoral students for the program, but pre-doctoral students cannot apply directly to the program themselves.
Pre-doctoral nominees must apply to or be enrolled in a degree-granting graduate program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. If your application is seriously considered by a program faculty member, he or she may decide to nominate you for consideration by the selection committee by contacting the Training Program in Emotion Research Administrator, Jane Lambert, at emotiont32grant@bi.wisc.edu. If you are interested in participating in the program, be sure to discuss this with your prospective advisor.
According to federal funding regulations, in order to be eligible for support, all applicants must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or lawfully admitted permanent residents. Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible for financial support.
Acknowledgments
This program is supported by NIMH grant 5T32MH018931, with additional funding from the University of Wisconsin–Madison Graduate School.