The Black Scholar Series: Dr. Nate Harnett

Dr. Nate Harnett

We welcome our second speaker for the 2024-2025 Academic Year, Dr. Nate Harnett.

“Nate” Harnett is the Director of the Neurobiology of Affective and Traumatic Experiences Laboratory at McLean Hospital and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. His research program investigates the neurobiological mechanisms of susceptibility to trauma and stress-related disorders. The lab uses multimodal magnetic resonance imaging, psychophysiology, and behavioral testing to identify unique neural signatures of why some people go on to develop syndromes like PTSD and others do not. Further, the lab investigates if these signatures are generalizable and disentangles structural factors – like inequity and racism – that may contribute to ungeneralizable neural signatures of psychiatric disorders. Nate’s research has been published in major academic journals including The American Journal of Psychiatry, JAMA Psychiatry, Biological Psychiatry, Molecular Psychiatry, and Neuropsychopharmacology, and in popular media outlets such as PBS, TODAY, CNN, and NPR. He is currently the Co-Editor in Chief of Mental Health Science, and his research has been funded by several public and private organizations including the National Institute of Mental Health, The Brain Behavioral Research Foundation, The Ford Foundation, and the Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center.

Sessions: REGISTER HERE

Wednesday, February 13, 2025
10:00 – 11:30 AM CT
Main Lecture: Structural roots: Neurophysiological Consequences of Racism-Related Stress

Trauma and stress exposure are associated with alterations in neural systems that support healthy emotional processes. Limited research to date, however, has considered how disproportionate exposure to stress between racial groups may contribute to downstream race-related variability in neurobiology related to (mal)adaptive outcomes related to psychiatric disorder prevalence. The presentation will discuss emergent research on the neural and physiological associates of racism-related stress with a focus on nascent human magnetic resonance imaging research. The relevancy of the topic in relation to the development of generalizable models of susceptibility to trauma and stress-related disorders will also be discussed. Finally, practical measures for addressing and synthesizing findings on race-related variability in neuroimaging data will be discussed in the context of findings that suggest racism-related stress produce observable neurobiological consequences that impact our ability to develop models of stress-related disorders.

12:30 – 1:30 PM CT
Special Session: Surviving the Unique Challenges of Researching Personal Topics

Our choices about what to pursue in science often reflect our interests and motivations. Some questions, however, we may try to detach from them, are directly related to unique parts of our identity. It can be difficult, then, to sometimes figure out how and when to separate the objective responses to typical academic pressures from the emotional responses. This informal session will discuss unique challenges associated with conducting research related to biology and racism primarily from Dr. Harnett’s perspective. Real life examples of challenges in designing, conducting, and reporting research will be discussed as well as practical solutions for managing these challenges. Open discussion is encouraged.

**Zoom Auto Transcription is provided for virtual attendees. If you require a Live Transcriptionist, please email Dr. Loretta Hsueh (lhsueh@uic.edu) or Mayra Guerrero (mguerr@uic.edu).