Current Research
Our central research aims are:
- To translate basic science research on models of emotion to identify individual differences in the biological and affective substrates of emotion in depression.
- To conduct neurophysiologic studies to develop personalized treatment approaches for mood disorders.
Current Studies:
Perinatal Support Services: Treating the Mind and Body
9/1/10-8/31/11
PI: J. Gollan
Studies have shown that women with diabetes and low income are twice as likely to experience depression during their pregnancy and as long as a year after childbirth.The stresses these women face in their daily lives often hinder their ability to care for themselves. Many are unable to adhere to a medication schedule, so have difficulty controlling their blood sugars. This and other depression-related problems can have adverse effects on their pregnancy and can lead to other poor outcomes, such as substance abuse and additional mental health issues.
To help improve outcomes for these patients, the Evergreen Invitational has awarded a grant to Dr. Gollan to establish the Treating Mind and Body program at the Prentice Ambulatory Care (PAC) clinic at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The program is a partnership between the PAC clinic and the Women’s Behavioral Health Program and is designed to help patients develop social, cognitive and behavioral resiliencies so they may better cope with daily challenges. Through the Treating Mind and Body program, Dr. Gollan and her colleagues hope to motivate patients to better manage their pregnancies and their diabetes, thereby reducing the prevalence and severity of depression, improving perinatal outcomes and increasing overall life satisfaction.
This project reflects an interdisciplinary team, involving psychologists, Jacqueline Gollan, PhD, Jordana Goldstein, Ph.D., and Sarah Getch, M.S., with psychiatrists, Susan Pearlson and Sonya Rasminsky, from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Feinberg, with an OB/GYN team, including physician LaTasha Nelson, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Feinberg, and social workers.
Women’s Board, Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Advancing Neuroscience of Emotional Disorder in Women Over the Lifespan
12/1/09-11/30/12
PI: J. Gollan
This study functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to test the extent that brain activation patterns corresponding to mood regulation and attentional control are associated with depression in women. Women are assessed in one of four life stages: puberty, postpartum, perimenopause, and menopause. This study aims to identify how key areas of the brain activate or deactivate during various stages of the lifespan to identify individual differences in how the brain responds to emotion. Please click here if you are interested in participating in this study.
National Institute of Mental Health, R01
Individual Differences in Motivational Substrates of Emotion
7/1/05-6/31/10
PI: J. Cacioppo; Co-Inv: J. Gollan
This project, directed by Dr. John Cacioppo (Professor of Psychology, University of Chicago), in collaboration with Dr. Gollan aims to evaluate the individual differences in two asymmetries in human affective information processing, with a focus on positivity offset and negativity bias in adults with clinical depression or anxiety. This study investigates how the implicit measures of human affective information processing (e.g., the positivity offset and negativity bias) differentiate among individuals with major depression and anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety and specific phobia).
Institute for Women’s Health Research, Pioneer Award
Predictive Index for Postpartum Depression
9/1/08-8/31/09
PI: J. Gollan; Co-Inv: A. Borders & R. Michon
This study examines the relative contribution of psychological, clinical, and biological variables to the onset of depressive symptoms during the postpartum period. Data is collected in the context of regular prenatal care function to confer or modulate risk for depressive symptoms during the postnatal phase. This project aims to answer primary questions that identify factors that most influence women’s health, provide appropriate and speedy referrals to women in need, issue collaborative publications resulting from this research, and provide basis for extramural funding to support research activities organized around the cohesive theme of perinatal mental health.