Nathaniel G. Harnett, PhD
Nathaniel Harnett, PhD, is Director of the Neurobiology of Affective and Traumatic Experiences Laboratory at McLean Hospital and an Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Harnett’s research is focused on understanding the neurobiological mechanisms that mediate susceptibility to trauma and stress related disorders. His lab uses multimodal neuroimaging, psychophysiology, and behavioral assessments to probe cognitive-affective function in individuals exposed to trauma to understand an individual’s potential to later develop posttraumatic stress disorder. In addition, he investigates how structural inequities throughout development produce differing neural responses to trauma and how these factors may reinforce racial disparities in mental health. Ultimately, the goal of this research is to develop predictive and preventative neuroscience-based techniques to reduce the prevalence of trauma and stress-related disorders. Dr. Harnett’s research has been funded by the Ford Foundation, NINDS, NIMH, and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation among others. His research has been published in several journals including The American Journal of Psychiatry, JAMA Psychiatry, Biological Psychiatry, Neuropsychopharmacology, and NeuroImage.