I am a social neuroscientist interested in why social relationships are so critical for mental and physical health. My research has explored the neural underpinnings of social rejection and has shown that this negative experience relies on some of the same neural regions that are involved in processing physical pain. I have also explored the neural substrates associated with social connection and have shown that experiences such as receiving and giving support rely on reward-related neural regions. My work also examines the bidirectional relationships between social relationships and health. For instance, we are currently examining whether prosocial behaviors, such as support-giving, can reduce threat-related physiological responding.