Faculty Directory

Shackman, Alexander

Shackman, Alexander

Associate Professor
Psychology
College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Brain and Behavior Institute
3123G Biology-Psychology Building
Website(s):

Dr. Shackman received his Ph.D. in Biological Psychology with a distributed minor in Neuroscience from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2008. He subsequently conducted postdoctoral research in the laboratories of Richard Davidson, Brad Postle, and Ned Kalin in the Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry at Wisconsin. He serves as an Associate or Consulting Editor at Emotion; Cognition and Emotion; Frontiers in Human Neuroscience; and Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience (CABN). Dr. Shackman joined the faculty at UMD in the summer of 2013.

  • Mechanisms that contribute to the development of anxiety and mood disorders in adults and youth
  • Identification of the neural basis of individual differences in anxious temperament, behavioral inhibition, and negative emotionality
  • Risk for the development of anxiety disorders, depression, and co-morbid substance abuse
  • Multimodal brain imaging (MRI, PET)
  • Acute pharmacological manipulations
  • Peripheral physiological measures
  • Eye-tracking
  • Ecological momentary assessment (EMA)
  • Behavioral assays

$3.1M NIH Award Supports Study of Anxiety-Fueled Alcohol Misuse

Neuroimaging, Computational Tools Focus on Racially and Age-Diverse Participants From Nearby Areas

Brain Study Ventures Into Fear of the Unknown

UMD-Led Team Awarded $3.9M to Understand How Risk and Ambiguity Influence Anxiety

Wearable Tech and Brain Imaging Innovate Treatments for Paranoia

BBI investigators use smartphone data and wrist-worn sleep monitors to inform better treatments for paranoia.

Poster Session Cinches Banner Year for UMD Neuroscience

Dozens of undergraduate students gathered to discuss neuroscience research projects with peers and mentors.

Never Fear, the Maryland Threat Countdown is Here

UMD psychologists pioneer new tools for understanding the brain bases of fear and anxiety.