Dr. Amanda Arulpragasam

Biography

Amanda R. Arulpragasam, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in treating veterans at the VA Providence. Her research primarily focuses on understanding the mechanisms underlying motivated behavior and decision-making processes. With a translational approach, Arulpragasam integrates neuroimaging, non-invasive brain stimulation, and computational modeling to explore motivational decision-making, particularly in the context of mood disorders. Her work has been published in prestigious journals such as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Biological Psychiatry, Neuropsychopharmacology, JAMA Psychiatry, and Nature Human Behavior. Currently, she is investigating the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and low intensity focused ultrasound on clinical symptoms and behavioral neural measures in patients suffering from depression-related anhedonia. Arulpragasam has received numerous awards, including recognition from the American Psychological Association and the Society of Biological Psychiatry, and has been funded by various organizations, including the National Science Foundation and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. She is also actively involved in initiatives promoting diversity and equity within academia.

Research Interests

Experience