Dear SPR Member:
The ballot listing the candidates for President-Elect, Secretary-Elect and two positions on the Board of Directors is now available. For full biographical sketches for all candidates, see below. The candidates are (in alphabetical order):
President-Elect: Drs. Wendy Heller, Frini Karayanidis & Stephan Moratti
Secretary-Elect: Drs. James Cavanagh, Annmarie MacNamara & Jason Moser
Board of Directors: Drs. Rebecca Brooker, Keanan Joyner, Sarah Karalunas, Julia Klawohn, Tzvetan Popov, & Johannes Rodrigues
To vote, click the ‘Cast Your Vote Now’ button below or at the bottom of this page, below the candidate biographies. Voting will close on Monday, June 8, at 12:00 noon ET. If you have any questions, please email info@sprweb.org.
We hope to see you at the 2026 Annual Meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia!
Best Regards,
Anna Weinberg, SPR Secretary
Please Note: All nominees are listed in alpha order by last name in each category.
President-Elect Nominees
Wendy Heller
Education: B.A. Magna cum Laude in Psychology and Spanish with Honors in Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, 1977; M.A. in Psychology (Biopsychology), University of Chicago, 1986; Pre-doctoral Internship in Clinical Psychology, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Chicago, 1986; Ph.D. in Psychology (Biopsychology), University of Chicago, 1986.
Positions: University of Chicago – Post-doctoral Fellow, Harris Center for Developmental Studies, Department of Psychiatry,1987; Assistant Professor of Psychiatry (tenure track), Psychiatry Department; Founder and Director, Neuropsychological Assessment Service, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1989; Associated Faculty, Committee on Developmental Psychology, 1989; University of Illinois – Assistant Professor, Psychology Department, 1990-96; Associate Professor, Psychology Department, 1996-01; Full Professor, Psychology Department, 2001+; Associate Director of Clinical Training, Psychology Department, Clinical-Community PhD Program, 1994-98; Director of Clinical Training, Psychology Department, Clinical-Community PhD Program; Associate Head of the Department, 1998-04 and 2006-11; Faculty affiliate, Neuroscience Program, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, and Faculty affiliate, Gender and Women’s Studies, 1990+; Provost Fellow for Campus Diversity, 2014-15; Department Head, Psychology, 2015-21; Faculty affiliate, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, 2017+; Presidential Fellow, University of Illinois System, Gender Inclusive Leadership Initiative, 2022-23; Special Assistant to the Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of Illinois System, 2024-25; Executive Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS), 2022+; Faculty affiliate, Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE), 2023+; Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Academic Leadership Program Fellow, 2024-25.
SPR Involvement: SPR member 1993+; Program Committee, 2004; Roundtable discussion leader, 2007 meeting; Board of Directors, 2009-2012; Women in Science Luncheon Panelist, 2009, 2013; Roundtable discussion leader, 2009; Co-chair, Committee on Diversity, 2011-2016; Member, Committee on Women in Psychophysiology, 2012+; Member, Leadership Nominating Committee, 2022-2023; Faculty co-supervisor of winner, student poster award, 2008, 2010; Recipient of the Distinguished Contributions to Psychophysiology Award, 2025.
Research Interests: Neural mechanisms of cognition, emotion, and risk/resilience in anxiety and depression; neuropsychological, developmental, and social/personality factors that influence the impact of anxiety and depression on cognition and emotion; emotional and cognitive characteristics and neural correlates of anxiety as a dimensional phenomenon; relationship of different types of anxiety and depression with cognitive function and dysfunction; developmental psychopathology and associated neural mechanisms; psychophysiological correlates of internalizing psychopathology; diversity, inclusion, and representation in psychophysiological research.
Frini Karayanidis
Education: PhD in Psychology, University of New South Wales, 1993.
Positions: Postdoctoral Researcher – Macquarie University 1994-1996, University of Montreal 1997-1998; Academic – University of Newcastle, Australia (UON): Associate Lecturer 1998-2000, Lecturer 2001-2004, Senior Lecturer 2005-2011, Associate Professor 2012-2017, Professor 2017-current; Service – Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory (FNL), Director, UON 2008-current; Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Society, President 2018-2020, Treasurer 2013-2014, Public Officer 2013-ongoing; College of Experts, Australian Research Council, Social Behavioural Economics Panel Member, 2016-2018; School of Psychological Sciences: Deputy Head of School, Research & Research Training 2015-2018, Outreach and Engagement 2019-2022; Program Convenor UON, Bachelor of Science & Graduate Diploma in Psychology 2006-2012, Bachelor of Psychological Sciences (Advanced) 2021-current; Healthy Minds Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Director, 2021-2024.
SPR Involvement: SPR member since 1990 (with ~10yr gap); Board of Directors 2019-2022; Associate Editor, Psychophysiology, 2015-current; Co-Chair, Diversity and Outreach Committee, 2018-2022; Member, Diversity Statement ad-hoc Committee, 2019-2020; Member, Public Relations Committee 2023-current; Co-Chair, Ad hoc Webinar Committee 2023-2024; Member, Diversity and Outreach Committee 2023-current.
Research Interests: Lifespan developmental trajectories of cognitive control processes that support goal-directed behaviour; brain vascular mechanisms affecting brain and cognitive outcomes; vascular biomarkers for mapping ageing-related brain and cognitive trajectories in primary health settings; creative enrichment to support healthy ageing.
Stephan Moratti
Education: MSc in Psychology 2001, Konstanz University, Germany; PhD in Psychology, Konstanz University, Germany
Positions: PostDoc Complutense University of Madrid, Spain 2006-2008; PostDoc Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain 2008-2009; Ramón y Cajal Fellow, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain 2010-2015; Associate Professor Complutense University of Madrid, Spain 2015-2022, Full Professor Complutense University of Madrid, Spain 2022-current.
SPR Involvement: Member since 2000; Committee to Promote Students’ interests: 2002 (I created the international exchange opportunities web, where labs can enter their profile. This idea is still alive today!); 2003-2005 Interview Subcommittee; 2003-2005 International Students’ Subcommittee (Chair); 2004-2005 Clinical Psychophysiology Subcommittee; 2011, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2023 Program Committee; 2013-current Associate Editor Psychophysiology.
Research Interests: Sensory processing of threat cues, EEG, ECG, MEG; alteration of sensory processing of emotional cues in depression; fear conditioning, interaction of autonomic and central nervous system responses to threat cues, methods: signal processing in the time and frequency domain, cortical source reconstruction, machine learning.
Secretary-Elect Nominees
James Cavanagh
Education: PhD, University of Arizona, 2010
Positions: Post-Doc, Brown University, 2010-2013; Assistant Professor, University of New Mexico, 2013-2019; Associate Professor, UNM, 2019-2025; Professor, UNM, 2025-present.
SPR Involvement: Member, devoted conference attendee, and ad hoc reviewer of Psychophysiology since 2006. Tursky (top student poster) Award winner (2009) & Early Career Award winner (2018). Service: Poster Judge (2015, 2016, 2017, 2022); Early Careers panelist (2015); Program Committee (2017, 2019-2023); Public Relations Committee (2021-2023); Chair: Member Awards and Recognition Subcommittee (2023); Consulting Editor @ Psychophysiology (2024-2027); Early Career Award Committee (2026-2029); Board of Directors (2023-2026).
Research Interests: Electrophysiology as a theoretical and methodological hub in the neural sciences. Theta! RewP!
Annmarie MacNamara
Education: BA in Psychology, McGill University, 1996; MFA Glasgow School of Art, 2006; MA in Clinical Psychology, Stony Brook University, 2009; PhD in Clinical Psychology, Stony Brook University, 2013.
Positions: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2013-2015; Visiting Research Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2015-2016; Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University, 2016-2022; Associate Professor, Texas A&M University, 2022-present.
SPR Involvement: SPR member 2007-present; Board of Directors 2022-2025; Associate Editor, Psychophysiology, 2022-present; Program Committee, 2018, 2024, 2025, 2026 (Chair, 2025); Public Relations Committee, 2018-2025 (Chair, 2022-2024); Convention Sites Committee, 2019-present; Committee to Promote Student Interests, 2007-2017 (Chair of Travel Award Sub-Committee, 2015-2017); Student Poster Award Committee, 2019, 2022-2024; SPR Early Career Awardee, 2022; SPR Fellow, 2025.
Research Interests: I am a clinical psychologist, affective neuroscientist and Associate Professor in the Dept. of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Texas A&M University. My research in the Multimethod Affect and Cognition lab (MAClab) investigates the neural circuitry and cognitive–affective mechanisms that underlie emotion generation, regulation, and dysregulation in both normative and pathological contexts. Using a multimethod approach—including fMRI, ERPs, startle eyeblink, ecological momentary assessment and skin conductance—my team and I characterize individual differences in emotional reactivity, regulatory processes, and cognitive factors that contribute to risk and resilience across anxiety and depressive disorders. The long-term goal of my group’s research is to reduce the burden of emotional disorders by developing more precise models of mood and anxiety disorders and using this knowledge to guide the development of targeted interventions.
Jason Moser
Education: AA in General Studies, Harrisburg Area Community College, 1999; BA in Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, 2001; MA in Psychology, University of Delaware, 2006; PhD in Psychology, University of Delaware, 2009.
Positions: Clinical Psychology Intern, Boston Consortium in Clinical Psychology, 2008–2009; Assistant – Full Professor, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, 2009–Present (Full Professor in 2020); Associate Director of Clinical Training, Clinical Science Program, Michigan State University, 2018 — 2019; Director of Clinical Training, Clinical Science Program, Michigan State University, 2019-2022; Associate Dean for Research, College of Social Science, Michigan State University, 2025—Present.
SPR Involvement: SPR member since 2003; Reviewer for Psychophysiology, 2003–2018; Consulting Editor, Psychophysiology, 2018–present; Member, Student Poster Award Committee, 2011, 2013, 2018; Member, Education and Training Committee, 2013–2022; Chair, Education and Training Committee, 2015–2018; Member, Board of Directors, 2017–2021; Member, Program Committee, 2019, 2021, 2022, Member, Diversity & Outreach Committee, 2022—Present; Member, Ad Hoc Webinar Committee, 2022-2025.
Research Interests: Utilizing psychophysiological approaches, especially EEG/ERP to: investigate cognition and emotion as they relate to anxiety and depression; delineate self-regulatory deficits in anxiety; characterize cognitive control-related error monitoring in specific subtypes of anxiety across children and adults; understand the role of biological sex and sex steroid hormones in associations between anxiety and self-regulatory function; examine mechanisms of and individual differences in various forms of emotion regulation; understand the role of motivation and implicit beliefs in anxiety and related dysfunction; test mechanistic intervention strategies for anxiety-related symptoms and associated impairments.
Board of Director Nominees
Rebecca Brooker
Education: BS in Psychology, Central College 2003; PhD in Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, 2011
Positions: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 2011-2013; Assistant Professor, Montana State University, 2013 – 2017; Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University, 2017-2019; Associate Professor, Texas A&M University, 2019-2024; Professor, Texas A&M University, 2024-present
SPR Involvement: SPR member since 2008; 2025 Conference Planning Committee; 2026 Conference Planning Committee Co-Chair; SPR Fellow (2025); Ad-hoc reviewer for Psychophysiology
Research Interests: Understanding how the development of and interplay across biological (EEG, ERP, RSA), behavioral, and contextual factors shapes trajectories of anxiety risk from infancy through early childhood; identifying putative biological (EEG, ERP, HPA axis function) mechanisms of intergenerational transmission of anxiety risk.
Keanan Joyner
Education: B.A. (Psychology) – University of Memphis, 2015; M.S. (Clinical Psychology) – Florida State University, 2018; PhD (Psychology) – Florida State University, 2021
Positions: Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, 2022 – current
SPR Involvement: SPR Member since 2016; Co-Chair of the SPR Diversity & Outreach Committee 2024 – current; Guest Editor for Psychophysiology Special Issue “Empirically-Based Strategies to Address Issues of Diversity and Representation in Psychophysiology”
Research Interests: Addiction; Black mental health; advanced quantitative methods; physiological processes implicated in externalizing psychopathology; diversity and representation in psychophysiological research
Sarah Karalunas
Education: BA in Neuroscience, Hamilton College, 2004; Doctoral Clinical Internship at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2010-11; PhD in Child Clinical Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, 2011
Positions: NIH-funded Postdoctoral Researcher, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), 2011-2014; Assistant Professor, OHSU, 2014-2020; Assistant/Associate Professor, Purdue University, 2020-2025; Cobb-Jones Endowed Professor, Syracuse University, 2025-current; OHSU ADHD Center/Steven J. Sharp Center for Mental Health Innovation Advisory Board, 2018-2023; Director of Graduate Studies, Psychological Sciences, 2024 – 2025; Department Chair, Psychology, 2025-current.
SPR Involvement: SPR member since 2020; Program Committee 2024-25; Program Committee Co-Chair 2025-26; Science Speed Networking Faculty Participant, 2025; ad-hoc reviewer, Psychophysiology
Research Interests: cognitive, emotional, and neurophysiological mechanisms related to ADHD etiology and outcomes; developmental psychopathology; EEG; eye-tracking; computational psychiatry; momentary assessment
Julia Klawohn
Education: Diploma in Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 2007; Dr. rer. nat. in Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 2016.
Positions: Postgraduate Researcher, Charité Medical University, Berlin, 2007-2009; Postgraduate Researcher / PhD student Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 2009-2016; Postdoctoral Researcher (Exchange scholarship), State University of New York at Stony Brook, 2016; Postdoctoral Researcher, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 2016-2017; Postdoctoral Researcher, Florida State University, 2017-2019; Postdoctoral Researcher, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 2019-2021; Professor, MSB Medical School Berlin, 2021 – current.
SPR Involvement: SPR member since 2013; Member, Education and Training Committee (2022-2025); Member, program committee (for meetings 2023, 2025); Student Poster Award Committee, 2019, 2022, 2025; Student poster awardee, 2016, 2019; Early Career awardee, 2025.
Research Interests: psychophysiological correlates of psychopathology; experimental modulation of psychophysiological indices of reward processing, performance monitoring, and emotional processing; biomarkers in individualized psychiatry approaches, including classification and outcome prediction.
Tzvetan Popov
Education: Diploma (MS equivalent) in Psychology, University of Konstanz; PhD in Psychology (summa cum laude), University of Konstanz.
Positions: Oberassistent (Senior Researcher), University of Zurich, 2019-present; Acting Professor (W3) of Cognitive Psychology, University of Konstanz, 2023-2026. Previous positions include Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Konstanz, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Visiting Researcher at the Center for Brain and Mind Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Italy; MEG Lab Manager, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany.
SPR Involvement: SPR member; co-organizer and instructor for the Digital Signal Processing Workshop at the SPR meeting 2024; organizer and contributor to multiple symposia at past SPR meetings.
Research Interests: My research focuses on the neural and behavioral mechanisms of higher cognitive functions, including attention, working memory, learning, emotion, and cognitive control. I investigate cognition as a dynamic and embodied process emerging from perception-action loops linking brain activity with oculomotor and motor behavior. Methodologically, I integrate EEG, MEG, eye tracking, and experimental psychology, with a strong emphasis on neural oscillations, their role in coordinating information processing across systems and their contributions to psychopathology. More recently, I have extended this framework to collective behavior, exploring shared dynamical principles across neural, individual, and social systems, providing theory and data demonstrating continuity across such levels of organization.
Johannes Rodrigues
Education: Diploma in Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, 2012, Dr. rer. nat. in Psychology and life sciences, Graduate School of life sciences, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, 2017, Habilitation in Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, 2023
Positions: (temporary) Post-doctoral reseacher / Akademischer Rat auf Zeit, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, 2017-2025, interim/visiting professorship physiological psychology, Otto-Friedrich-University of Bamberg, 2024-25, (permanent) Post-doctoral reseacher / Akademischer Rat, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, 2026 – current.
SPR Involvement: SPR member since 2013, (one of the) drummer(s) of the SPR blues band since 2015, Psychophysiology journal reviewer of the year award from SPR: 2025
Research Interests: Personality and psychophysiological correlates (e.g., frontal asymmetry, altruism); development (and evaluation) of standardized analyses methods and paradigms (e.g., EEG-processing pipelines, general classification approaches including virtual behavior, focussed transcranial ultrasound neuro-modulation, virtual T-maze); contrast of cognitive effort/control and evaluation processes; neuroeconomic paradigms;