About the Schiller Laboratory of Affective NeuroscienceCan we change our emotions? Our lab is interested in discovering the neural mechanisms underlying emotional control and flexibility. Because the environment we live in is constantly changing, we need to continuously update our emotional responses. In extreme situations, when emotional memories become traumatic, we might even wish to 'erase' emotional memories altogether.Our research team uses neuroimaging, pharmacology and psychophysiology to understand the neural mechanisms that make such emotional flexibility. We examine emotional processing in the normal brain and in patients with anxiety disorders, and hope to promote new forms of treatment.Schiller Laboratory of Affective NeuroscienceSLAN_e7e96798-e4b7-11e5-be34-7503514a5bbcIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiDaniela Schiller, PhDLab Director -- Assistant Professor Psychiatry,Assistant Professor Neuroscience,MSSM -- Our research - how emotions are formed in the human brain - is situated within the critical link between animal models and the clinical population. Our research strategy, therefore, typically relies on fundamental findings in animals. We aim to collect, through collaborative projects, parallel findings in animals and humans and examine cross species similarities.Rita Tavares, PhDPostdoctoral Fellow -- Using my background on cellular and molecular biology, I am studying possible pharmacological approaches targeting fear memory reconsolidation. In general, I am interested in emotion driven responses that can be used as measures of well being. I am also interested in how social interactions relate with well being.Philipp Homan, MD, PhDSwiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Postdoctoral Research Fellow -- My research interest is the involvement of consciousness in the acquisition and extinction of fear. Fear extinction without awareness may hold therapeutic potential in patients with anxiety disorders. I am therefore excited to study the neural correlates of nonconscious fear updating mechanisms in healthy subjects and patients with anxiety disorders.Avi Mendelsohn, PhDPostdoctoral Fellow -- My primary interest is to unveil neuroplasticity processes promoted by ongoing neurofeedback and to explore consequent changes in emotional learning and memory retrieval in humans at the behavioral and neural level.Dorothee Bentz, PhDSwiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Postdoctoral Research Fellow -- I am interested in research at the interface between cognitive neuroscience and clinical psychology. My overall goal is to translate research from basic neuroscience into clinical applications. Currently I am working on projects about fear memory reconsolidation in healthy humans and patients with anxiety disorders.Kate CollinsGraduate Student -- I am interested in the neural mechanisms subsuming emotion regulation and dysregulation. Presently, I am studying the neurocircuits and neurotransmitter systems involved in human avoidance behavior.Marianne ReddanLab Manager,Research Coordinator -- As an undergraduate in the Lab of Elizabeth Phelps, I worked with Catherine Hartley to study how fear expression can be modulated by an experience of behavioral control. Here at Mount Sinai, I am eager to further my understanding of emotion and memory. In the future, I would like to investigate emotional learning in relation to empathy.Chris ThompsonResearch Coordinator -- As an undergraduate in the lab of Dr. Uri Hasson at Princeton, I studied the neuroscience of interpersonal communication. Specifically, I investigated the neural responses that are shared among individuals across language translation. I am looking forward to expanding my horizons at Mount Sinai by studying memory and emotion.Hsien Lee LauResearch Coordinator -- Previously, I studied the genetic and molecular mechanisms of enhancing/disrupting memory in C. elegans. I have extended my interest to humans. I am interested in how fear memories are formed and how to alter and disrupt existing maladaptive memories in healthy and clinical populations (anxiety disorders such as PTSD and specific phobias).... continuous updating of our emotional responses._e7e96932-e4b7-11e5-be34-7503514a5bbcTo discover the neural mechanisms underlying emotional control and flexibility._e7e96a04-e4b7-11e5-be34-7503514a5bbcFlexibilityUse neuroimaging, pharmacology and psychophysiology to understand the neural mechanisms that make such emotional flexibility._e7e96ac2-e4b7-11e5-be34-7503514a5bbc1_e7e96b80-e4b7-11e5-be34-7503514a5bbcProcessingExamine emotional processing in the normal brain and in patients with anxiety disorders._e7e96c34-e4b7-11e5-be34-7503514a5bbc2Patients with Anxiety DisordersAnxietyPromote new forms of treatment for anxiety disorders._e7e96cf2-e4b7-11e5-be34-7503514a5bbc2.12016-03-07http://neuroscience.mssm.edu/schiller/index.htmlOwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net