Christopher Monk received his Ph.D. in Child Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience from the University of Minnesota and then spent 5 years as a fellow at the NIMH Intramural Research Program. Chris uses behavioral and neuroimaging methods to examine affective-cognitive processing during adolescent development. In particular, his research focuses on how behavioral and brain-based responses vary with age in normally developing youth as well as those with or at risk for psychopathology.
Adolescence is a period of exceptional mental capacities relative to earlier ages, but it is also an age of increased risk for emotion-based mental conditions, such as depression and anxiety. The ultimate goal of this research program is to better understand why some adolescents effectively navigate their emotionally-charged surroundings, while others struggle and a subset experience the first onset of long-term mental disorders. Through a better understanding of the behavioral and neural events that underlie the emergence of these pathways, it may be possible to design better diagnostic tests, implement novel treatments that more precisely target underlying pathophysiology, and potentially prevent initial onset through early intervention.
Curriculum Vitae (updated 11/08/23)
On Research Interests:
I use behavioral and brain-based measures to examine affective-cognitive processing during adolescent development. In particular, my research focuses on how these responses vary across ages in normally developing youth as well as those with or at risk for psychopathology.
On Teaching Interests:
My teaching interests include developmental psychology, cognitive development and developmental neuroscience.