Ahmad Hariri, who will be joining the department this coming July, has been selected to receive the American Psychological Association's distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology in the area of research on individual differences.
Dr. Hariri's research is focused on using modern molecular genetics and neuroimaging methods to explore the interplay of genes, brain and behavior in the emergence of individual differences in temperament and personality as well as risk for neuropsychiatric disease. He is currently using both PET and fMRI to identify specific molecular mechanisms through which genetic variation in serotonin function biases corticolimbic circuit development and function related to emotional behaviors. He has also recently extended his imaging genetics research to include studies of dopaminergic polymorphisms on corticostriatal circuits of reward and addiction. In addition, he is conducting longitudinal developmental imaging genetics studies designed to identify predictive genetic, environmental and neurobiological risk factors for mood and substance use disorders. The long-term goals of Dr. Hariri's research program are to identify specific genetically moderated neurobiological pathways mediating variability in behavior and risk for neuropsychiatric disease that will allow for the development of more effective, individually tailored disease treatment and, ultimately, prevention.