Welcome to the PTSD & TBI Neuroimaging Lab

Our primary research area is focused on brain changes in posttraumatic stress disorder. Our second research area is focused on understanding changes in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) using diffusion imaging, resting-state functional MRI, and structural imaging to better understand the role of clinical symptoms and mechanism of injury. Our research in PTSD is focused on the role fear, threat, guilt and other emotions along with their interaction with cognitive function such as memory, attention, and executive function. Functional MRI employing cognitive challenge tasks, pharmacological challenges, emotion regulation strategies, as well as structural MRI, genome wide association studies (GWAS), polygenic scoring, genomic structural equation modeling (SEM), and gene expression are converging methodologies for understanding mechanisms of PTSD. Our lab leads the international consortium workgroup on PTSD Neuroimaging within the Psychiatric Genetics Consortium. We have formulated a blue-print to identify replicable genetic associations with brain measures in PTSD at a scope that is unprecedented in the field of traumatic stress. These efforts have triggered a renewed impetus and a sharpened focus on investigating structural and functional brain differences, their genetic determinants, environmental modulators, and investigating the genetic vulnerability to the effects of trauma and the onset of PTSD.

Lab News:

September 2022

PTSD & TBI Neuroimaging Lab says farewell to Sarah Laskowitz, and hello to two new members: Ahmed Hussain, Post-bacc Research Assistant, and Brandy Martinez, Post-doctoral Research Fellow


April 2021

PTSD & TBI Neuroimaging Lab welcomes new lab member: Christine “Lexi” Baird, Post-bacc Research Assistant.


January 2021

We’re hiring! We are seeking applicants for a full time Post-Bacc Research Assistant position. If you enjoy interacting with patients and are interested in our work, send your CV and cover letter/research statement to Amanda Watts (amanda.watts@duke.edu). Bachelor’s degree required.


October 2020

We are excited to safely restart in-person research visits by kicking off the NFL Concussion Study in collaboration with Robert Turner, PhD at George Washington University.


July 2020

PTSD & TBI Neuroimaging Lab welcomes new lab member: Sarah Laskowitz, Post-bacc Research Assistant.


April 2020

Due to COVID-19 current in person research visits are suspended.


March 2020

Check out the lab’s most recent publications on Neural correlates of conceptual-level fear generalization in posttraumatic stress disorder in Neuropsychopharmacology .


February 2020

Congrats to lab undergraduate, Molly Monsour, for her acceptance into Duke University’s summer neuroscience program. She will join us full time in the lab this summer!


January 2020

PTSD & TBI Neuroimaging Lab wishes Dr. Ashley Clausen a goodbye and good luck as she starts her new job as a Staff Health Psychologist at the Kansas City VA Medical Center.


December 2019

Check out the lab’s most recent publications on Amygdala nuclei volume and shape in military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.


October 2019

Check out the lab’s most recent publications on Combat exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder, and head injuries differentially relate to alterations in cortical thickness in military Veterans in Neuropsychopharmacology.


September 2019

PTSD & TBI Neuroimaging Lab welcomes new Undergraudate lab members: Madeline Eckhardt, Leonel Rangel Jimenez, and Karan Desai.

Congrats to Ashley Clausen for presenting a talk on sleep hygiene to athletes at Greensboro College.


July 2019

Congrats to Heather Bouchard for presenting at the 35th Annual National Neurotrauma Symposium (NNS) and being chosen as one of the Top 20 Trainee Poster Competition Finalists.


June 2019

PTSD & TBI Neuroimaging Lab welcomes new lab member: Mary Nicole Buckley, Post-bacc Research Assistant.


May 2019

PTSD & TBI Neuroimaging Lab welcomes new lab member: Amanda Watts, Post-bacc Research Assistant.

Congrats to Ashley Clausen, Emily Clarke, & Rajendra Morey for presenting at the 74th Annual Meeting of the Society for Biological Psychiatry (SOBP).

Congrats to Clare Kehoe for successfully defending her undergraduate honors thesis. She will graduate with distinction in Neuroscience!


March 2019

Congrats to Ashley Clausen for presenting at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), leading the Early Career SIG as co-vice chair. Dr. Clausen was also recognized as an Emerging Leaders Awardee for 2019.


February 2019

PTSD & TBI Neuroimaging Lab welcomes new lab members: Viraj Adduru, Visiting Graduate Student and Molly Monsour, Undergraduate.


December 2018

Congrats to Ashley Clausen, Rachel Phillips, & Rajendra Morey for presenting at the 57th Annual Meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP).


August 2018

PTSD & TBI Neuroimaging Lab welcomes new lab member Ashley Clausen, PhD., MIRECC VA Research Fellow.


July 2018

PTSD & TBI Neuroimaging Lab welcomes new lab member Gopalkumar Rakesh, M.D., MIRECC VA Research Fellow.


June 2018

PTSD & TBI Neuroimaging Lab welcomes new lab members: Heather Bouchard, Post-bacc Research Assistant; Clare Kehoe, Honors Student; Arnav Pondicherry, Research Associate, and Aurelio Falconi, Post-bacc Research Assistant.


May 2018

Congrats to Delin Sun for presenting at the 73rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Biological Psychiatry (SOBP).


April 2018

Congrats to Rachel Phillips, Ashley Clausen, & Delin Sun for presenting at the 38th Annual Meeting of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA).


August 2017

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Grant awarded (PI Morey):
“Trauma and Genomics Modulate Brain Structure across Common Psychiatric Disorders”