PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Behavioral inhibition (BI), a temperament characterized by fear of novelty, is the best behavioral marker
of which children are at risk for anxiety. However, the neurodevelopmental mechanisms that underly the
pathway from BI to anxiety remain elusive. Extensive evidence links BI and inhibitory control (IC) processes to
the development of anxiety. However, very little evidence has illuminated whether these behaviors are
associated with changes in brain connectivity. The goal of the proposed project is to precisely characterize
brain networks associated with BI, IC, and their interaction in infancy to illuminate the pathophysiology of
anxiety. To do so, during the mentored phase, I will characterize longitudinal changes in brain networks
implicated in BI (Aim 1), identify longitudinal changes in resting state functional connectivity that are associated
with both BI and IC (Aim 2). Subsequently, during the independent phase (R00), I will replicate and extend this
line of work to validate these findings using behavioral measures of BI and IC and identify the moderating
contribution that brain networks associated with IC have on the neural correlates of BI (Aim 3). Elucidating the
independent and interactive contributions of factors associated with anxiety is essential for generating
knowledge for targeted interventions. This research plan will advance my goal of developing an independent
funded research program investigating how brain development supports complex social and emotional
development. This line of work will target those individuals most at risk for atypical social and emotional
outcomes (e.g., those at risk for psychopathology) by charting the precursors to emotional disorders using
neuroimaging methods. To effectively lead my future research team, I require intensive training in infant
functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) data analysis and longitudinal modeling. To date, my training has
provided me with a strong foundation of skills in developmental psychology, infant behavioral assessment, and
infant fMRI data collection. My career development plan expands on this skill set to provide essential further
training in data-driven approaches for processing fMRI data (e.g., independent components analysis),
longitudinal modeling of fMRI data, and toddler fMRI data collection. By engaging in this protected training
time, I will enter my independent stage of research well prepared to lead my research team to identify neural
markers indicative of high risk for anxiety.