Neural & Inflammatory Responses to Racial Discrimination
A core area of research in the SNH Lab is understanding the mechanisms through which racial discrimination is linked to negative mental and physical health outcomes for Black Americans. We are particularly interested in how experiences of racial discrimination are represented in the brain, how prior experiences of racial discrimination shape neural responses to affective stimuli, and how discrimination influences the immune system. We are currently working on specific projects devoted to understanding:
How interpersonal discrimination (i.e., being negatively socially evaluated or rejected) is related to neural and inflammatory processes in Black Americans. This work is led by our current graduate students Carrington Merritt and Gabriella Alvarez in collaboration with Kristen Lindquist, and David Penn at UNC and Enrique Neblett at the University of Michigan.
How systemic and historical racism are related to implicit racial biases against Black individuals and levels of inflammation in Black Americans. This work is led by our current graduate students Manny Galvan and Gabriella Alvarez in collaboration with Keith Payne at UNC.
How race-related rejection sensitivity influences the detection of emotion in White and Black faces. This work is led by our former undergraduate honors student Sinclare Scales, lab manager Nick Fendinger, and graduate student Carrington Merritt, in collaboration with Adrienne Wood at the University of Virginia.