Dr. Rebecca Todd

Biography

Rebecca Todd is an Associate Professor in UBC’s Department of Psychology and a member of the Centre for Brain Health, specializing in Cognitive Neuroscience. Dr. Todd is a CIHR New Investigator and a Michael Smith Foundation Health Research Scholar. Her research program investigates the neurocognitive processes underlying the interaction between human emotion and cognition, particularly how emotional influences affect attention, learning, and memory. She employs a variety of brain imaging methods and laboratory experiments to explore how affective salience—the emotional and motivational importance of objects and events—affects perception and memory. Dr. Todd's work includes research on individual differences and how these factors influence behavioral responses to emotionally salient events, assessing the implications for emotional health and well-being. Her programs investigate the effects of acute stress on emotional experiences and attentional biases, with broader applications in understanding treatment outcomes for conditions such as depression. The research employs a multi-method approach, including EEG, fMRI, and psychophysiology, to explore the developmental aspects of complex cognitive and affective processes throughout the human lifespan.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards