Webinars
Upcoming Webinars
Aging as a Model System for Studying Affect February 26, 2026 12:00PM EST
What can the study of human aging tell us that informs our understanding of affective processes generally?
Derek Isaacowitz of Washington University, St. Louis, considers 2 ways in which investigating aging can be helpful to scientists interested in affect:
First, it forces a consideration of both between-group differences as well as within-person changes in affective processes. Taking the study of emotion regulation specifically, despite an explosion of research on the frequency and effectiveness of different strategies, it may not be the case that the strategy level is most useful for considering between-group differences and within-person changes. Instead, studying aging suggests that the tactic level may be especially useful, though tools are still needed that can account for the hierarchical nature of dynamic changes in emotion regulation behavior.
Second, investigating aging also forces a consideration of how affective processes unfold in the context of physical, cognitive and neural changes that happen with advancing age. For example, findings that age-related positivity effects vary between the lab and home constrain causal mechanisms that might underlie positivity effects when observed. Assertions that some emotion regulation behaviors are more cognitively-demanding than others may need revision given that older adults with a range of cognitive abilities still seem to be able to use them.
Together, studying affect in the context of aging can inform the plausibility of theoretical models in the study of affect more generally.
Derek Isaacowitz - Washington University, St. Louis
Derek M. Isaacowitz is Professor and Associate Chair of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Director of the Lifespan Lab at Washington University in St Louis. He joined the WashU faculty after serving on the Psychology faculty at Brandeis and at Northeastern. He was an undergraduate student at Stanford University, and received his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. His research on emotion regulation and social perception in the context of adult development and aging has been funded by the National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Mental Health, and Velux Stiftung.
MorePTSD the Quintessential Disorder of Affect: Lessons From Tracing World Trade Center Responders Over 20 Years March 3, 2026 1:00PM EST
Directly addressing the 2026 APPA theme of ‘The Affect Revolution”, this presentation discusses evidence for conceptualizing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a disorder of affect. PTSD shows stronger associations with chronic negative affect that any other mental disorder. Longitudinal studies have been limited, leaving fundamental questions unresolved. This talk will present findings from an unparalleled study of 12,822 responders to World Trade Center (WTC) disaster who were assessed annually for up to 20 years. The presentation will discuss individual course trajectories, their etiology (genetic risk, traumatic exposures, and life events), nosology, stress maintenance mechanisms, and affective processes. It will demonstrate how applications of artificial intelligence can explicate complex interactions between PTSD symptoms and facial affect in daily life.
Roman Kotov - Stony Brook University
Dr. Kotov is a licensed clinical psychologist. He received PhD from University of Iowa in 2006 and has been at Stony Brook University, Department of Psychiatry since, progressing to full professor. He is the director of Translational And Clinical Epidemiology (TrACE), a research division that includes 4 PhDs, a large staff, and 17 ongoing studies. He also directs mental health service at the Stony Brook World Trade Center (WTC) Health and Wellness Program for responders to WTC disaster.
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Affective and Mood Dynamics in Bipolar Disorder February 17, 2026 12:00PM EST
Understanding the dynamic nature of mood and emotion is critical for advancing the assessment and treatment of bipolar disorder. This webinar brings together new and emerging research on affective and mood dynamics, spanning multiple timescales and analytic frameworks. Drawing on data from four complementary studies, I will highlight how bipolar spectrum psychopathology is marked by altered affective dynamics (Sperry & Kwapil, 2022), and discuss how these affective dynamics not only concurrently reflect but also prospectively predict mood psychopathology (Sperry, Walsh, & Kwapil, 2020). Expanding on this work, recent investigations have established reliable, quantitative metrics of mood instability for stratifying individuals and for measuring clinical outcomes in bipolar disorder (Sperry, Yocum, & McInnis, 2024). Finally, I will review novel modeling approaches for predicting mood instability using large longitudinal cohorts (Stromberg, Yocum, McInnis, Tso, & Sperry, 2025). Together, these findings underscore the importance of dynamic monitoring of emotion and mood in bipolar disorder, offering promising avenues for precision medicine and improved mood management.
Sarah Sperry, PhD, University of Michigan
Dr. Sarah Sperry, PhD is the Richard Tam Early Career Professor of Translational Bipolar Research in the Department of Psychiatry where she directs the Emotion and Temporal Dynamics (EmoTe) Lab and serves as Associate Director of the Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research Program. Dr. Sperry’s research uses ambulatory assessments (smartphones, wearable devices) to understand affective, cognitive, and circadian risk factors for the development and maintenance of bipolar disorders.
MoreDisruptions in Emotional Processes and Risk for Severe Mental Illness January 28, 2026 12:00PM EST
Dr. Tina Gupta: “Individuals with severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia, often experience
debilitating outcomes including declines in social functioning, cognitive impairment, and
disability. Identifying risk markers of severe mental illness and early intervention can be
effective at slowing down or even preventing symptom progression. My research program
examines emotional processes in adolescents at risk for severe mental illness. Adolescence is a
unique time of novelty, change, and identity formation; adolescents engage in new experiences,
social relationships are salient, exploring new hobbies and interests are a priority, and new
passions are discovered such as music or social justice. As adolescence is a developmental
period characterized by consequential changes in positive emotions and reward processing,
alterations in emotional processes could have a long-term detriment on affect regulation, social
functioning, and navigation of the critical developmental transition to adulthood. In this
presentation, I will highlight characteristics and research priorities associated with risk for severe
mental illness during adolescence. I will discuss my research program, which uses multiple
levels of analysis to examine alterations in emotional processing, such as changes in the outward
expression of emotion (e.g., blunted facial expressivity) and internal experience of emotion (e.g.,
anhedonia, which refers to diminished pleasure, reduced motivation, and/or impaired decision-
making) during this vulnerable adolescent risk period.”
Tina Gupta, Ph.D - University of Oregon
Tina Gupta, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University
of Oregon. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Northwestern University and her
B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Colorado Boulder. Dr. Gupta’s research
focuses on understanding the development and maintenance of emotional processes in
adolescents at risk for severe mental illnesses (SMI), such as schizophrenia.
Exploring Approaches to Incorporating Lived Experience into Psychiatric Research December 16, 2025 12:00PM EST
Dr. Alisa Lincoln, Dr. Kate Keenan, and Suzanne Garverich will discuss their experiences incorporating lived experiences in their research in psychiatric epidemiology and neuroscience. Discussion will highlight effective integration of community engagement throughout the research process, recommendations for training, and ethical decisions related to protection of human participants. Presenters will share examples and lessons learned through their own research. The webinar will make space for questions and interactive dialogue.
Panelist: Alisa Lincoln, MPH, PhD
Alisa K. Lincoln, MPH, PhD, is an Inter-disciplinary Professor of Sociology and Public Health, and the Director of the Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research at Northeastern University. Her research examines the way that social exclusion and marginalization both contributes to and is a consequence of poor health, and specifically mental health.
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Panelist: Kate Keenan, PhD
Dr. Kate Keenan received a B.A. from Williams College in 1986, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in 1995. She completed her clinical internship at the Children’s Memorial Hospital at Northwestern University and then joined the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Chicago, where she is currently Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience.
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Panelist: Suzanne Garverich, MPH
Suzanne Garverich, M.P.H., is the Program Director at the Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research in the Bouvé College of Health Sciences at Northeastern University. Suzanne received her MPH in urban health from Northeastern University and is currently in a Doctor of Education program at Northeastern. Her research experience is in mental health research and research ethics.
MoreAPPA Professional Development Series - On productivity, aspirations, and pragmatism September 15, 2025 3:00PM EST
Part 3 of the Professional Series: What are we trying to achieve in our academic work? How do we achieve as much as we can, maximizing productivity? We shall discuss these questions in a brief framing presentation followed by an engaged Q+A session.
Panelist: Sandro Galea, MD, MPH, DrPH
Sandro Galea, a physician, epidemiologist, and author, is the Margaret C Ryan Dean of the School of Public Health, the Eugene S and Constance Kahn Distinguished Professor in Public Health, and Vice Provost of Interdisciplinary Initiatives at Washington University in St. Louis. He previously held academic and leadership positions at Boston University, Columbia University, the University of Michigan, and the New York Academy of Medicine.
MoreAPPA Professional Development Series - Seeking and succeeding with non-federal funding August 26, 2025 1:00PM EST
Panel discussion for investigators interested in finding non-government funding and successfully applying for these opportunities.
Panelist: Dost Öngür M.D., Ph.D., Harvard Medical School
A native of Istanbul, Turkey, Dr. Öngür obtained his M.D./Ph.D. degree from Washington University in St. Louis and psychiatric residency training at the MGH/McLean Adult Psychiatry program. He is currently the William P. and Henry B. Test Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Chief of the Psychotic Disorders Division at McLean Hospital.
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Panelist: Roberto Lewis-Fernández, Columbia University
Dr. Roberto Lewis-Fernández is Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Interim Vice-Chair of Research in the Columbia Department of Psychiatry; Interim Director of Research, Director of the New York State Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence and the Hispanic Treatment Program, and Area Leader for Anxiety, Mood, Eating and Related Disorders at the New York State Psychiatric Institute.
MoreEarly Career Roundtable - Navigating Career Transitions and Current Research Uncertainties August 19, 2025 12:00 PM EST
Recording Unavailable
Helen Wilson
Committee Chair
Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Cristiane Duarte
Committee Co-Chair
Columbia University Medical Center/
New York State Psychiatric Institute
Claudia Lugo
Committee Member
Columbia University Medical Center/
New York State Psychiatric Institute
APPA Professional Development Series - Improving your professional visibility and seeking new job opportunities July 15, 2025 12:00 PM EST
James Potash, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins
Dr. Potash has been the Henry Phipps Professor, Director of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Psychiatrist-in-Chief, at Johns Hopkins since 2017. Before that he was Chair and Department Executive Officer of the University of Iowa Department of Psychiatry for six years. Dr. Potash graduated from Yale College. Following graduation, he served in the Peace Corps in the West African country of Senegal.
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Linda B. Cottler, PhD, MPH, FACE, University of Florida
Linda B. Cottler, PhD, MPH, FACE, is a Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Florida, where she was Founding Chair of the department (2011–2018) and served as Senior Associate Dean for Research (2012–2022). Previously at Washington University for 30 years, she built a renowned research program in addiction and community engagement. Continuously funded by NIDA since 1989, her work includes developing culturally reliable tools for assessing substance use and psychiatric disorders, conducting behavioral surveys, and leading peer-delivered interventions.
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