Florida International University · PsychologyMattfeld Lab
Aaron Mattfeld · Miami, Florida
Research Focus
Dr. Aaron Mattfeld's lab at Florida International University focuses on understanding how sleep and brain development affect emotional health during adolescence, a critical time for mental health issues like anxiety and depression. By studying the interplay between brain structures involved in memory and emotion, especially the amygdala and hippocampus, the lab aims to uncover the mechanisms that lead to heightened anxiety and negative memory patterns in teenagers. The research emphasizes the importance of sleep health in mitigating emotional risks during this developmental stage.
sleepadolescent anxietybrain developmentemotion reactivitymemory generalizationamygdalahippocampusneuroimagingpsychologymental health
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate the relationship between amygdalo-hippocampal function and changes in sleep across adolescence.
AIM 02Examine how amygdalo-hippocampal dynamics contribute to negative memory overgeneralization as teenagers mature.
AIM 03Explore the links between sleep neurophysiology, emotional health, and anxiety symptom severity during mid-late adolescence.
Skills the Lab Values
polysomnographyfunctional MRIneuroimaging analysisemotional memory taskslongitudinal study designclinical assessment methodsdata collection and managementstatistical analysisbehavioral observationyouth engagement strategies
Output against the department
Publications58bottom 11% of dept.263rd of 296
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations1.5kbottom 11% of dept.263rd of 296
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.