Research project Neurodevelopment of social threat regulation

Wallenberg Academy Fellow Armita Golkar will investigate how the neural systems that regulate our fears develop in the transition from childhood to adolescence and how teenagers' sensitivity to various social signals can be used to optimize their fear regulation.

The experiences we have in situations where we feel threatened impact our risk of developing anxiety. If we have learned how to regulate our emotions, we develop a resilience to mental illness. However, if we haven’t found a way to regulate our emotions, the risk of fear and anxiety-related illnesses increases.

Although researchers know this, they have little knowledge of how teenagers’ experiences shape the risk of developing anxiety. This is a period when the areas of the brain that regulate our emotions change greatly and is also a period when many people develop anxiety.

Using advanced brain imaging methods, Dr Armita Golkar, will study how the neural systems that regulate fear develop as children become teenagers. She will also investigate whether teenagers’ sensitivity to social signals can be utilized to optimize their fear regulation. The long-term objective is for teenagers to receive treatment that more effectively counteracts fear and anxiety-related disorders.