IMH Seminar: Neuro-cognitive systems that, when dysfunctional, increase aggression risk and the potential for translation into clinical tools

During his talk Professor Blair will consider forms of neurocognitive dysfunction that increase risk for reactive and instrumental aggression. He will consider neuro-cognitive functions that appear to mediate, inhibit or moderate reactive and instrumental aggression. Those considered are: the acute threat response, reinforcement-based decision-making, response control and empathy (responsiveness to distress cues). Their functional roles, putative neural substrates and data indicating dysfunction in aggressive populations will be considered. Finally, Professor Blair will consider recent machine learning approaches to considering neuro-cognitive function and implications with respect to psychopathology. 

About the Speaker

In 1995 Professor Blair joined University College London as a Lecturer, before moving to the USA in 2002 to begin working for the National Institute for Mental Health, where he became the Chief of the Section on Affective Cognitive Neuroscience. In 2016 he moved to lead the Center for Neurobehavioral Research at Boys Town National Research Hospital. In 2022, James returned to Europe and took a position as Professor in Translational Psychiatry at the University of Copenhagen.

This Seminar is free to attend and is open to all.  Registration is not required.