Faculty merge psychology, engineering expertise to address mysteries of the brain

When Jennifer Robinson and Meredith Reid first crossed paths at Auburn University, few could have predicted the impact their partnership would have.

On paper, their backgrounds are worlds apart: Robinson is a psychology professor in the College of Liberal Arts, immersed in the mysteries of memory and cognition. Reid, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, specializes in the technical intricacies of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).

Yet, it was precisely this difference that sparked a collaboration at the Auburn University Neuroimaging Center that would benefit themselves, their students and the people whose lives they hope to improve.

Their connection began with a shared fascination for the brain, an organ so complex that it’s often called the next “moonshot” in science, Robinson said. Her expertise in understanding how memory works and how psychological processes unfold in the brain complement Reid’s ability to measure the brain’s chemical activity, tracking molecules, like GABA and glutamate, that play crucial roles in mental health.

Mental health is a prevalent issue affecting millions of people worldwide. The pair found that by combining their perspectives, they could tackle questions neither could tackle alone. Questions such as, “What happens to brain chemistry during trauma or pain?” or “How do these changes relate to conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression?”

“There are currently no cures for any psychological or neurological disorders,” Robinson said. “We have ways to slow things down, but we don't have anything that actually cures these conditions.”

This reality makes their work even more valuable, especially as a tool for predicting medication response.

“In psychiatric disorders, usually there’s a lot of trial and error in finding the right medication, and it can take four to six weeks before medication even begins to work,” Reid explained. “With brain imaging, we could potentially scan somebody early on to predict if they would respond to a particular class of drugs. That could save some time, which is good for the patient.”

Their research combines functional MRI with MRS to measure brain metabolites like GABA and glutamate, allowing them to see how these chemicals change during different brain processes and potentially understand how medications work.

“We can test ingredients or drugs by scanning a person before and after administration to see how that affects glutamate and GABA and see if there’s a mechanism of action,” Robinson said.

The urgency of their work is underscored by the prevalence of mental health issues. Robinson recounted the difficulty in recruiting “healthy” students in 2012, saying they “couldn’t recruit anybody, because everybody had anxiety, depression or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.” This reality drove home the question of “what is normal?” and underscored the urgent need for better understanding and treatment.

With Auburn’s Neuroimaging Center housing both a 3T and 7T MRI scanner, faculty across campus collaborate on various research projects

“MRI research by its very nature is interdisciplinary,” Robinson explained. “It’s helpful when you have teams of scientists with different expertise working together to address all the components of an MRI. That’s how you produce the best science and the best outcomes for patients.”

For Robinson and Reid, their union has meant crossing into each other’s worlds: Robinson attends conferences to learn more about Reid’s approach to imaging work, while Reid goes to psychology conferences to understand that perspective.

“When you merge different viewpoints, you get a much more accurate picture of what might be going on,” Robinson said.

Reid’s technical skills push the boundaries of what MRI technology can do, while Robinson’s psychological insights ensure the research remains focused on real-world questions.

Their students are exposed to a rare blend of technical and behavioral science, learning to navigate the complexities of brain imaging and psychological research. Robinson and Reid said their collaboration demonstrates to students the value of approaching problems from multiple angles and communicating across disciplines.

The results of this collaborative method also impact the lives of people living with neurological and psychological disorders. Their studies on PTSD, depression and pain processing are shedding light on the brain’s chemical changes in response to trauma and treatment.

For example, their research found that glutamate levels were lower in both trauma-exposed and PTSD groups compared to those without trauma, a finding that could inform new approaches to diagnosis and therapy.

Robinson and Reid hope that, one day, brain scans will be used to predict which medications will be effective for each individual, reducing the trial-and-error approach that currently dominates psychiatric treatment and saving time for patients in need.

Their collaboration also helps to challenge stigma around mental health. Robinson said the fact that they had trouble recruiting “healthy” students for brain scans more than a decade ago reveals that anxiety and depression are far more common than many realize.

The pair said their work helps to normalize conversations about mental health, encouraging more people to seek help and contributing to a culture where mental health is understood and valued.

“Interdisciplinary science is the best science,” Robinson said. “It is the way forward. It is what produces the most impactful research.”