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10/29/2009
MHLP Welcomes 2 new Post-Doctoral Fellows - Dr. Amanda Fanniff and Dr. Jason Hall
Jason Hall, Ph.D., is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Mental Health Law and Policy Department. He received his BA degree at Emory University, where he worked with Dr. Scott Lilienfeld, and completed his graduate studies in clinical psychology at the University of Minnesota, under the supervision of Dr. Christopher Patrick. Prior to coming to FMHI, Dr. Hall completed his pre-doctoral clinical internship at Hennepin County Medical Center, a large urban hospital in downtown Minneapolis. Dr. Hall’s program of research is primarily focused on elucidating the neurobiological systems underlying the construct of psychopathy. This work involves using startle reflex modulation and event-related potential (ERP) methodology to study the affective and cognitive processes that distinguish psychopathy from more common antisocial phenotypes. The ultimate goal of this work is to inform and hopefully refine existing methods for conceptualizing and assessing this costly and complex disorder. Toward this end, Dr. Hall’s recent research has focused on evaluating the construct validity (using personality, diagnostic, and physiological measures) of a novel interview-based measure of personality traits related to a fearless temperament, which is thought to be a core element of psychopathy. In addition to addressing a limitation of existing interview-based psychopathy measures (which do not assess lack of fear or anxiety) this work may also lead to a better understanding of “successful” or non-criminal manifestations of psychopathy.
Amanda Fanniff, Ph.D. is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Department of Mental Health Law and Policy. She received her BS degree from Northwestern University and completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology with a secondary emphasis in Psychology, Policy, and Law at the University of Arizona, under the mentorship of Dr. Judith Becker. Dr. Fanniff completed her pre-doctoral clinical internship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center – Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, an institute dedicated to providing research-based treatment for mental health and addictive disorders in its psychiatric hospital and outpatient clinics. Dr. Fanniff has two primary lines of research, both related to the impact of normal development on assessment, treatment, and policy regarding juvenile offenders. One line of research focuses on juvenile sex offenders, including the study of developmentally appropriate risk assessment and the identification of clinically relevant sub-types of offenders. Dr. Fanniff’s second main line of research involves investigating the potential impact of normal developmental immaturity on juveniles’ competence to stand trial. Specifically, her research focuses on identifying cognitive, emotive, and psychosocial skills that younger defendants may lack and the manner in which such deficits may interfere with their capacity to understand and participate in the legal process. A better understanding of young defendants’ deficits may enable the development of new interventions for the remediation of youth found incompetent.