Duke Institute for Brain Sciences

Ongoing research in the Laboratory of Neurogenetics is focused on using modern molecular genetics and neuroimaging methods to identify specific biological pathways that help shape individual differences in temperament and personality as well as related risk for neuropsychiatric disease. Our program of research also employs pharmacological challenge fMRI paradigms and multimodal PET/fMRI neuroimaging to identify specific molecular mechanisms through which individual differences in behaviorally-relevant brain function emerges. The long-term goals of our research program are to identify neurobiological pathways mediating variability in complex behaviors and related risk for neuropsychiatric disease that will allow for the development of more effective, individually tailored disease treatment and, ultimately, prevention.

R.J. Wyatt Memorial Fellow, CBDB, NIMH, NIH, 2002-2003

Post-doctoral Fellow, CBDB, NIMH, NIH, 2000-2002

Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, Neuroscience, 2000

M.S., University of Maryland, Evolutionary Biology, 1997

B.S., University of Maryland, Biology, 1994

Manuck SB, Marsland AL, Flory JD, Gorka A, Ferrell RE, Hariri AR. Salivary testosterone and a trinucleotide (CAG) length polymorphism in the androgen receptor gene predict amygdala reactivity in men. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 Jun 1. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19493626

Fisher PM, Meltzer CC, Price JC, Coleman RL, Ziolko SK, Becker C, Moses-Kolko EL, Berga SL, Hariri AR. Medial Prefrontal Cortex 5-HT2A Density Is Correlated with Amygdala Reactivity, Response Habituation, and Functional Coupling. Cereb Cortex. 2009 Mar 25. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 19321655

Fakra E, Hyde LW, Gorka A, Fisher PM, Muñoz KE, Kimak M, Halder I, Ferrell RE, Manuck SB, Hariri AR. Effects of HTR1A C(-1019)G on amygdala reactivity and trait anxiety. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009 Jan;66(1):33-40.