UCF Mood, Personality, and CogniTion Lab (MPACT)

Laboratory Director
Jeffrey S. Bedwell, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychology

Program Director and Director of Clinical Training,
Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program

For more information on Dr. Bedwell, see: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1205-5792

Office: (Orlando) Psychology Building – Room 332
Email: jeffrey.bedwell@ucf.edu
Laboratory Location: Psychology Building – Rooms 333 and 334

The UCF Mood, Personality, and CogniTion (MPACT) Lab uses a transdiagnostic National Institute of Mental Health Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach to examine the underlying causes of and new ways to classify reduced motivation (i.e., avolition/apathy), reduced pleasure (i.e., anhedonia), and reduced emotional expression (i.e., constricted/blunted affect). Dr. Bedwell has a particular interest in how these symptoms manifest in disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Other current and upcoming research examines relationships of these constructs with psychopathy, social anxiety severity, concussion history, and suicidal thoughts/attempts. Most of Dr. Bedwell’s research uses a cognitive neuroscience and experimental psychopathology approach (e.g., event-related potentials, pupillometry, inflammatory markers). The long-term goal of this research is to improve treatment and prevention efforts targeted toward these specific symptoms, regardless of the disorder.

Our laboratory is equipped with a Neuroscan SynAmps RT 64-channel EEG system, a SR Research EyeLink 1000 eye tracking system, automated blood pressure/pulse cuff, ability to record electromyography and skin conductance, E-Prime 2.0 Professional software for stimulus presentation, and BrainVision Analyzer software for event-related potential (ERP) analysis.

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Graduate students of the UCF Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program conduct research in our lab, as well as undergraduate students assisting with our projects and/or conducting Honors in the Major projects. If you are a UCF undergraduate student who would like to assist in the lab, please complete the department’s RA Match form and indicate our lab name.

Current Research Projects of MPACT Lab Graduate Students

Research Projects of MPACT Lab Undergraduate Students

Recent Representative Publications from the MPACT Lab

Recent Representative Presentations from the MPACT Lab

Graduate Student Alumni from the MPACT Lab

Undergraduate Student Alumni from the MPACT Lab


Current Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program Students in the MPACT Lab  Other Current Students in the
MPACT Lab
  • Jessica Ruiz, M.S.
  • Samantha Simpson, M.S.
  • Giulia Salgari, M.S.
  • Kelsey Petrey, B.S.
  • Nelly Dragu (undergrad RA)
  • Yanyi Wu (undergrad RA)
  • Justine Assal (undergrad RA)
  • Madelyne Dubrasky (undergrad RA)
  • Zoe Ryon (undergrad RA)

August 2023 – Dr. John O’Donnell graduating

 

2019 UCF Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program Bowl-O-Ween Event –
MPACT Lab Team

33rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Research in Psychopathology –
Buffalo – September 2019

From left to right: Ashley Lee Lum, B.S. (recent undergraduate RA), Chloe LaRochelle (current undergrad RA), and Christopher Spencer, M.S. (current graduate student) presenting their posters

Graduate student Christopher Spencer, M.S. presenting his poster with Dr. Bedwell

Charlotte Payne, B.S. (recent undergraduate RA)

Samantha Berg (current undergraduate RA)

Lab social event at the conference. Includes lab alumnus Dr. Chi Chan (top right) who was able to join us at the conference.

 

32nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Research in Psychopathology –
Indianapolis – September 2018

Graduate student, John O’Donnell, M.S.W., presenting his research.

Graduate student, Christopher Spencer, M.S., presenting his research.

Photos from MPACT Lab Social Event – April 2018

 

31st Annual Meeting of the Society for Research in Psychopathology –
Denver – September 2017

Graduate student Chris Spencer, M.A.  presenting his research.

Dr. Bedwell chairing a symposium.

72nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society of Biological Psychiatry –
San Diego – May 2017

Graduate student Chris Spencer, M.A. presenting his research.

71st Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society of Biological Psychiatry –
Atlanta – May 2016

Chris Spencer presenting poster

Graduate student Christopher Spencer, M.A. presenting his research.

Alyssa Finner presenting poster

Undergraduate student Alyssa Finner presenting results from her project.

“National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Walks” Fundraising Event
(UCF Memory Mall) – May 2016

NAMI_Lab_2016