A hallmark of the human condition is the experience of dynamically shifting affective and cognitive states, which profoundly color our everyday lives, sculpt sensory information processing and inform the selection of behavioral goals.

The Lapate Experimental Affective Psychophysiology and Neuroscience Laboratory (LEAP Neuro Lab) at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) investigates neural mechanisms underlying emotion-cognition interactions with a focus on cognitive control and adaptive emotion. Our research examines questions such as:

·   How do neural representations in distinct prefrontal regions modulate goal-directed behavior?

·   What neural mechanisms promote adaptive responses to emotional events?

·   How do emotional responses impact the neural coding of time and temporal memory?

·   Do temporal coding dynamics influence the dynamics of emotion?

·   What are the neural bases and function of conscious awareness?

To answer these questions, we use a multimodal approach that emphasizes causal inference, and includes recordings of electroencephalography, peripheral physiology, and functional neuroimaging—often combined with behavioral assays and analyses of individual differences. The long term goal of our research program is to uncover basic affective and cognitive mechanisms that promote adaptive functioning and reduce vulnerability to psychopathology.