Dr. Cisler Neurotap

Biography

The NeuroTap Lab at the University of Texas conducts research focused on understanding the neurocircuitry that confers risk for psychopathology following exposure to traumatic events, particularly in the context of PTSD. The research involves refined neurocircuitry models that highlight the hyperactivation of the amygdala and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex in response to threats, as well as the hypoactivation of the medial and lateral prefrontal cortex related to fear inhibition and emotional regulation. The lab examines neural mechanisms that encode symptom reductions in individuals suffering from PTSD and is currently conducting studies that probe the role of dopamine neurotransmission in enhancing memory consolidation and fear extinction. This work aims to utilize real-time fMRI neurofeedback to construct ideographic whole-brain models of trauma-related neural networks for teaching self-regulation techniques to women with PTSD. Additionally, the lab investigates social-decision-making tasks to explore differences in neural encoding of negative social prediction errors among individuals with a history of early life abuse, with the hypothesis that such experiences weaken this encoding and increase the risk of revictimization. Overall, NeuroTap Lab's framework for examining neurocircuitry in PTSD integrates node-specific findings into larger models of neural network organization and dysfunction.

Research Interests

Experience