Psychology researcher Deanna Barch, at Washington University in St. Louis, has won the Atkinson Prize in Psychological and Cognitive Sciences from the National Academy of Sciences, one of the most prestigious honors in the field of psychology.
Barch is a professor of psychological and brain sciences and vice dean of research in Arts & Sciences and the Gregory B. Couch Professor of Psychiatry at WashU Medicine.
The academy cited Barch’s “seminal contributions to understanding behavior, brain and mental health across development, especially in schizophrenia and childhood depression.” The academy said her work “has advanced our understanding of cognitive dysfunction and brain connectivity, influencing both basic psychological science and clinical interventions.”
“I was so honored to receive this award from the National Academy of Sciences,” Barch said. “It is really a shared award, though, given all of the critical contributions from collaborators and trainees to this research. My highest hope is that this body of work has helped to improve the lives of individuals living with mental illness.”
Barch’s research examines the neural basis of disrupted cognitive control and emotional processing in people with, or at risk of, schizophrenia and those with mood disorders. She has long collaborated with WashU Medicine researchers on work demonstrating the long-term effects of childhood adversity, such as poverty, on early brain development and risk for mental health challenges.
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