Our Research Programs

The Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences is a world leader in basic, clinical, and translational behavioral health services research, neurosciences, and other psychiatric specialties. Our faculty operate various research and training centers, including the Prevention, Early Intervention, and Addictions Recovery Lab, the Alzheimer Disease Research Center (ADRC), the USC Center for Mindfulness Science, the USC Adolescent Trauma Training Center, and more. They collaborate with physicians and researchers throughout the university and have appointments in specialty institutes such as the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, the Dornsife Creativity and Brain Institute, and the USC Institute for Addiction Science. Through their funded studies and these collaborations, they are expanding our understanding of the causes of and cures for a wide range of behavioral, neurological, and psychiatric disorders.

  • Established in 2020, the Prevention, Early Intervention, and Addictions Recovery Lab (PEARL) is led by Eric R. Pedersen, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences within the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. The PEARL’s research involves the intersection of domains surrounding addiction, mental health, prevention, and treatment.

    The PEARL logo

  • The Brain Imaging Lab at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, led by Principal Investigator Bradley Peterson, MD, Chief, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Keck School of Medicine of USC, aims to identify the brain bases of childhood psychiatric disorders and to map the complex pathways between the genetic and environmental influences that can trigger the onset of disease or adversely alter its course.

    CHLA Research logo

  • The mission of the USC Center for Mindfulness Science, led by Rael Cahn, MD, PhD, Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, is to cultivate individual and societal awareness, well-being, and the relief of suffering through a scientific understanding of the impact of mindfulness and related practices on human consciousness and health.

    USC Center for Mindfulness Science logo

  • The USC Adolescent Trauma Training Center (USC-ATTC) trains mental health clinicians and disseminates information throughout the United States on the evaluation and treatment of complex trauma effects—including substance use and self-injury—in multi-traumatized, socially marginalized adolescents who come in contact with residential, community, and school mental health services, substance abuse, child welfare, and juvenile justice environments. The center is run by Cheryl Lanktree, PhD, Center Director; Randye J. Semple, PhD, Program Director; John Briere, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine.

  • The University of Southern California Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (USC ADRC), led by Lon Schneider, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Gerontology at the Keck School of Medicine, is a leader in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. Their mission is to advance research, enhance patient care, and train the next generation of scientists.

    ADRC logo