Brief Bio
Tara White is an Assistant Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences and founding director of the Laboratory of Affective Neuroscience at Brown. Dr. White pioneered the emerging field of Dignity Neuroscience, which explores the intersections between neuroscience and international human rights law. Current scholarly work focuses on three topics: dignity neuroscience; the human neuroscience of emotion; and psychoactive drug effects in the human brain. Her work in dignity science represents a new line of inquiry linking neuroscience and human rights relevant to agency, uniqueness, unconditionality, freedom from want/poverty, freedom from fear, and protections of vulnerable populations. Her work in affective science focuses on structural, functional, and neurometabolic mechanisms of agency, emotional flexibility, fearlessness, risk-taking, and affiliation. Her work in neuropharmacology seeks to illuminate between-person differences in neural, mood, neuroendocrine and behavioral responses to monoaminergic drugs, with special focus on psychostimulants (d-amphetamine, methamphetamine, Adderall).
Dr. White received her Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Cornell University. She carried out postdoctoral training in human behavioral psychopharmacology and neuroimaging at The University of Chicago and in alcohol and addiction research at Brown University. She is a Life Fellow at The University of Cambridge, Clare Hall, England U.K., following her 2018 International Visiting Fellowship with the British Academy. Dr. White was named a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science (APS) in 2019 in recognition of her ‘sustained and outstanding distinguished contributions to psychological science.’
Study maps extroversion types in the brain’s anatomy
White Lab
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