Mental Health Research Consortium
From Fundamental Discoveries to Therapeutic Interventions:
Promoting Mental Health and Well Being Across Society
About Us
One in four people is affected by a mental health disorder, ranging from anxiety, depression, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. The COVID pandemic has revealed deep and systemic deficiencies in treatment options and community resources for those struggling with mental health disorders.
Through this cross-college, interdisciplinary initiative, we are accelerating progress in uncovering the molecular underpinnings of mental health conditions and deepening our understand of the intricacies of the brain. We are developing new effective tools to address the multi-factorial needs of patients and their families.
We are connecting mental health researchers across scales, from the biochemist studying the lipids that constitute the neural membrane, to the neurophysiologist specializing in brain imaging, to the engineer inventing bio-feedback and data collection wearables, to the clinician designing effective therapies and the community activist and policymaker enabling these solutions to reach communities in need.
Are you interested in supporting this initiative?
Hear from our mental health research experts
You aren’t at the mercy of your emotions — your brain creates them | Lisa Feldman Barrett
Watch Our Video to Learn More About Our Psychology Program
Connects The Good Power of Science Seminar Series: The Plastic Brain: Injury and Repair | Craig Ferris and Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli
Explore our Mental Health Research
Our mental health research spans the Northeastern Network. Understanding and improving mental health is a multi-scale, multi-partner endeavor. By engaging with interdisciplinary research at all levels – across departments, colleges, institutions, cities, and regions – we are tackling some of the most important societal challenges.
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Cognitive and Brain Health
The Center for Cognitive and Brain Health (CBH) investigates the effects of lifestyle choices and behaviors (e.g., physical activity, artistic engagement, dietary choices) on brain activity and structure, cognitive and affective performance, and physiological indices of health (e.g., fitness, adiposity, autonomic markers, sleep, stress). CBH brings to bear multiple perspectives and methodologies (including interventions, state of the art multimodal neuroimaging, computational modeling, and sophisticated behavioral paradigms) to explicate mechanisms of brain health and disease to improve the lives of individuals across the lifespan.
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Translational Neural Imaging
The Center for Translational NeuroImaging (CTNI) is a full-scale behavioral neuroscience center that seeks to improve human mental and physical health through advanced experimental approaches that bridge the growing gap between basic neurobiology and clinical presentation. Over the years the center has pioneered the ability to perform functional imaging experiments in awake, conscious animals, and contributed to the publication of over 300 papers on functional neuroimaging in awake animals, from both inside and outside them.
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Population Mental Health
Disparities in health and mental health arise and persist as the result of complex individual, societal, and global factors. The Institute for Health, Equity, and Social Justice (IHESJR) brings together faculty and students from across Northeastern University, along with external research partners, to tackle these complex challenges. Their teams draw upon a wide range of research methods and interventions, but share a common commitment to promoting health equity and social justice through high-impact, community engaged research.
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Predictive Analytics and Modeling
The Roux Institute’s Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics Center—or OHDSI, pronounced “odyssey”—advances healthcare by fostering reproducible research through open science. Their collaborators maintain a network of standardized clinical data covering nearly 10% of the world’s population. They support research collaborations among academia, industries, and governments across disciplines and around the globe. And as part of Northeastern University, they provide education and training programs for learners and institutional partners.
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New College of the Humanities
Based in the heart of London, New College of the Humanities (NCH London) has developed a reputation for delivering an excellent university experience. NCH London offers a vibrant, collegiate community delivering broad and academically rigorous degree programmes, designed to equip graduates with the combination of skills and knowledge that are increasingly desired by organisations, employers and society. The College is continuing to expand its portfolio by developing interdisciplinary degree programmes, which combine its emphasis on the humanities with the exploration of complementary scientific subjects.
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Autism
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), encompasses to a range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. Researchers at Northeastern are studying ASD from a diverse array of perspectives, from behavior analysis, to neuroimaging, to the development of wearable technology that allows for revolutionary and innovative data collection and analysis.
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Metabolism and Mental Health
A growing body of research has established the link between metabolism and mental health, connecting facets such as the gut microbiome to opioid addiction, and nutrition to emotion regulation. Northeastern faculty approach the metabolic-cognitive association via methods ranging from chemical analysis to observational studies on mice and zebrafish, paving the way for translational and impactful discoveries.
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Neurodegenerative Disorders
There are close to 36 million Americans age 65 and older, a number which is projected to double over the next 15 years. Cross-disciplinary interactions across Northeastern have facilitated a number of exciting new research directives, including discovery of behavioral biomarkers that reflect changes in cognitive and/or physical functionality with age, computational modeling of changes in cognitive and physical functions across lifespan, and development of approaches to intervention that mitigate the progression of actual or potential decline in cognitive and/or physical function due to advancing age.
Mental Health Researchers at Northeastern
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Heather Brenhouse
Heather Brenhouse is a professor and director of Graduate Studies for the Department of Psychology at Northeastern University. She received her BS in Psychobiology from Binghamton University, her MS in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience from Rutgers University, and her PhD in Experimental Psychology from Northeastern University. She did her postdoctoral work at Harvard Medical School, […] -
Rebecca Shansky
Research in Dr. Shansky’s lab focuses on the neural connections between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the amygdala, and sex differences in how this circuit processes fear and responds to stress. The mPFC and amygdala are frequently reported to be sites of dysfunction in stress-related mental illnesses like Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Post-Traumatic […] -
Iris Berent
The basis of the human capacity for language and its role in reading. -
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Art Kramer
Research Interests include: Cognitive Neuroscience, Lifespan Development, Exercise & Physical Activity, Training & Learning, Human Factors -
Charles Hillman
Physical activity and Health Behavior Effects on Cognitive and Brain Health -
Laurel Gabard-Durnam
Laurel Gabard-Durnam is the director of PINE Lab and an assistant professor of psychology at Northeastern University. She received a BA in Neurobiology from Harvard University and a PhD in Psychology from Columbia University. Prior to starting PINE Lab, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Gabard-Durnam is a developmental cognitive neuroscientist […] -
Hazel Sive
Dr. Hazel Sive is a professor of Biology at Northeastern University and dean emerita of the College of Science. Prior, she was Professor of Biology at MIT, Member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Associate Member of the Broad Institute. A native of South Africa, she received the B.Sc. in Chemistry and Zoology, […] -
Lisa Feldman Barrett
Lisa Feldman Barrett is a university distinguished professor at Northeastern University with appointments at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Her lab is developing a systems-level model of brain and body mechanisms to unify human affect, emotion, motivation, cognition and action. She takes a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating methods and concepts from a range of disciplines, including […] -
Karen Quigley
Karen Quigley’s work focuses on how bodily regulation and sensory signals from the body help a brain to create feelings, including the role of individual- and situation-level variation in affective experience, and how these experiences relate to behavior, cognition, and health. She uses laboratory and ambulatory (daily life) measures to understand what factors explain the […]
Seminar Archive
This series brings together researchers from a diverse array of fields to engage with important topics under the broad umbrella of mental health.
Mindfulness
Featuring:
Aaron B. Daniels
Associate Teaching Professor
College of Science
Chieh Li
Associate Professor
Bouvé College of Health Sciences
Research Exchange and Conversations on Metabolism
Featuring:
Hazel Sive
Dean, College of Science
Craig Ferris
Professor
College of Science, Bouvé College of Health Sciences
Research Exchange and Conversations on Video Games
Featuring:
Leanne Chukoskie
Associate Professor
Bouvé College of Health Sciences, College of Arts, Media and Design
Casper Harteveld
Associate Professor
College of Arts, Media and Design
Mental Health Research in the News
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News
This psychologist says we need to be more comfortable with not knowing the answer in therapy
People often turn to therapy for answers about themselves, their lives or their relationships, but one psychologist says we need to get more comfortable with saying, “I don’t know” –– and that includes therapists too. Aaron B. Daniels, an associate teaching professor at Northeastern University with a decade plus of experience as a practicing therapist, […] -
Student Spotlight
Siima Kiriziya Machayo ‘26, BS Behavioral Neuroscience
What inspired you to pursue your current field of study/research? My inspiration for pursuing behavioral neuroscience is rooted in my fascination with how the brain influences every aspect of people’s lives and how this knowledge can be applied to improve human health. My middle name, my grandmother’s maiden name, is a meaningful way to honor […] -
Student Spotlight
Naomi Rajput ‘26, BS Behavioral Neuroscience
What inspired you to pursue your current field of study/research? My first co-op resulted in me pursuing my venture – Eden. Working as a front office administrator, I saw pain points on administrative workflows that affected physicians, admins, and patients alike. This resulted in me exploring current solutions in the space and after realizing that […] -
Research
Northeastern professor leads global study on why some people hear better in noisy spaces
Jonathan Peelle, associate professor of psychology, worked with other researchers on a study that shows that people’s ability to detect background sounds varies from person to person, and is influenced by the noise that came before the sounds. -
News
These graduates earned degrees 13 years apart but built a business partnership on a shared mission to improve mental health care
Two Northeastern alumni, who graduated 13 years apart, are teaming up to help patients manage their mental health using their biometric data. -
News
Right turn and right answer, how does the brain differentiate? Northeastern professor explains in new book
Jonathan Peelle, associate psychology professor, wrote a book, “The Neuroscience of Langue” exploring how the brain processes language and supports communication. -
News
What happened between the Macrons on that plane? A Northeastern expert weighs in
Karen Quigley, psychology professor, weighs in on the clip of French President Emmanuel Macron being pushed in the face by Brigitte Macron. -
News
What did the Class of 2025 really learn? A professor breaks it down in 10 life lessons
William Sharp, associate teaching professor of psychology, delivered the Last Lecture to the class if 2025, imparting life lessons in an address title “Things Your Bachelor’s Degree May Have Actually Have Taught You.” -
Student Spotlight
‘Growth is imbalance’: How Naomi Rajput is squeezing everything out of her Northeastern education
Naomi Rajput, a fourth year neuroscience student, juggles course work with research, multiple clubs, co-ops, and a social life stating that “I live by this quote: ‘Aggressive growth is a product of imbalance.'”
Available Resources
If you, or someone you are concerned about, is experiencing a Mental Health related emergency on campus, please call the Campus police at x3333 or 911 if you are off-campus. You can reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.
The links below will guide you to Mental Health Services available at Northeastern. University Health and Counseling Services offers support, information, and response to mental health and medical concerns for students on the Boston campus. 24/7 Mental Health Support is available through Find@Northeastern.
(Photo of Cooper, Northeastern’s community resource dog)
Mental Heath Support via Find@Northeastern
24/7 Mental Health Support including phone and video counseling sessions, self-guided support, and personal follow ups.
+1.877.233.9477 (U.S.)
+1.781.457.7777 (Intl.)
Counseling Services
Including:
- Find@Northeastern
- What to expect
- Emergencies
- Mental Health Visits with UHCS
- Psychopharmacology Services
- Support groups
WeCare
The We Care program is a support system for students during times of difficulty or challenge.
104 Ell Hall
617.373.4384
[email protected]
617.373.7591