Dr. Karen Smith is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Rutgers, Newark and Director of the Stress Psychophysiology and Affective Neuroscience (SPAN) Lab.
Dr. Smith earned both her B.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Chicago. Following her graduate studies, she spent four years conducting research as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This training provided her with the ability to integrate theoretical and methodological perspectives across fields, including psychophysiology, affective neuroscience, developmental psychology, and genetics. Together this allows her to utilize a multi-level multi-disciplinary approach to examine the biological and psychological mechanisms underlying differences in individuals’ responses to stress, especially stress occurring in early childhood. Dr. Smith’s broader goal with this research is to provide insight into the mechanisms through which stress shapes development across the lifespan that can be used to inform more targeted and effective interventions.