About

Professor Timothy J. Strauman's work is grounded in the premise that mental health and well-being are fundamentally shaped by self-regulation—how individuals pursue goals, respond to challenges, and adapt over time. His research integrates clinical psychology, affective neuroscience, and behavioral science to characterize the psychological and neurobiological systems that support self-regulation, and to understand how disruptions in these systems contribute to vulnerability to depression and related conditions. Across a program of experimental, clinical, and neuroimaging research, his work has examined self-regulation as a multi-level system, including its cognitive and motivational mechanisms, its development through socialization, and its links to affective and immunological processes. This work has also informed the development and evaluation of novel interventions targeting self-regulatory dysfunction. More recently, his work has focused on translating this science of self-regulation into scalable approaches to intervention and prevention, including the development of new models of treatment that target regulatory processes across disorders and efforts to extend effective self-regulation skills beyond traditional clinical settings into everyday contexts. His broader aim is to build integrated, system-level approaches to mental health that can improve outcomes at population scale.

Research topics

• Psychology
• Clinical psychology
• Medicine
• Political Science
• Social psychology
• Psychiatry
• Medical education
• Applied psychology
• Engineering
• Public relations
• Business
• Engineering ethics
• Internal medicine
• Nursing
• Developmental psychology

Selected publications

• 148. Clinical Changes Following Concurrent fMRI-Guided rTMS and Psychotherapy for Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression

  Biological Psychiatry · 2026-04-25

  article
  PublisherDOI

• The Functional Architecture of Self-Regulation: Network-Level Control Parameters of Regulatory Focus in Normative Adult and Adolescent Samples

  2026-05-19

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Regulatory focus theory distinguishes promotion- and prevention-related motivational systems that support adaptive goal pursuit and are implicated in vulnerability to internalizing psychopathology. Prior neuroimaging work has characterized where in the brain these systems are instantiated, but has offered less insight into how they are organized as integrated control networks. We reanalyzed fMRI data from previously published normative adult (N = 48) and normative adolescent (N = 47) samples using a common region-of-interest framework derived from the adult activation maps. Three masks were constructed based on voxel-wise overlap across conditions: a core network capturing voxels active across multiple goal-priming conditions; a promotion-only network capturing promotion-selective processing; and a prevention-only network capturing prevention-selective processing. Within each mask, we derived per-subject parameters indexing system strength and signal differentiation for each motivational domain, and estimated cross-system coupling as the correlations among these parameters across individuals. In both age groups, promotion and prevention magnitudes varied largely independently, and within-system match–mismatch coupling was weak, consistent with a distributed architecture in which promotion and prevention share a representational backbone but operate with substantial differentiation. Adolescents showed significant cross-system coordination of match signals that was absent in adults. These findings support a set of network-level self-regulatory control parameters—strength, differentiation, and cross-system coupling—as a principled vocabulary for the functional architecture of regulatory focus specifically and self-regulation more generally, and provide a normative baseline against which perturbation by adversity, psychopathology, or intervention can be evaluated.

  PublisherDOI

• Neural signatures of promotion and prevention goal activation in adolescence

  Social Neuroscience · 2026-02-03

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  Adolescence is marked by major changes in self-regulation, goal pursuit, and brain function. Regulatory focus theory (RFT) distinguishes between promotion and prevention self-regulatory systems, activated by ideal and ought goals, respectively. These systems have been studied in adults using fMRI; however, adolescent-specific patterns of activation are not yet well understood. In a normative adult sample, observed shared and unique regions of activation associated with idiographically assessed promotion vs. prevention priming, as well as variations in BOLD response depending on whether participants believed they were or were not making progress attaining the goal. In the present developmental extension, we examined whether adolescents exhibited neural activation patterns in response to ideal and ought priming consistent with adult findings. We measured brain activation during goal priming in 47 healthy adolescents (ages 13-17). Analyses revealed a linear increase in BOLD response to personally meaningful (vs. yoked control) goal-related adjectives across repeated priming blocks in regions including the medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and precuneus - regions associated with self-referential processing and regulatory focus. These results suggest that adolescents recruit neural circuits associated with self-relevant cognition in response to promotion and prevention goals.

  PublisherDOI

• Resting-State and Task-Based Functional Connectivity Reveal Distinct mPFC and Hippocampal Network Alterations in Major Depressive Disorder

  Brain Sciences · 2025-10-22 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Background: Resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) is widely used to identify abnormal brain function associated with depression. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans have many potential confounds, and task-based FC might provide complementary information leading to better insight on brain function. Methods: We used MATLAB’s (version 2024b) CONN toolbox (version 22a) to evaluate FC in 40 adults with and without major depressive disorder (MDD) (nMDD = 23, nHC = 17). fMRI acquisition was performed while participants were at rest and while performing the Selves Task, an individualized goal priming task. Seed-based analyses were performed using two seeds: medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and left hippocampus. Results: Both groups showed strong positive RSFC between the mPFC and other DMN regions, including the anterior cingulate cortex and precuneus, which had more focal positive FC to the mPFC during the task in both groups. Additionally, the MDD group had significantly lower RSFC between the mPFC and several regions, including the right inferior temporal gyrus. The left hippocampus seed-based analysis revealed a pattern of hypoconnectivity to multiple brain regions in MDD, including the cerebellum, which was present at rest and during the task. Conclusions: Our results indicated multiple FC differences between adults with and without MDD, as well as distinct FC patterns and contrast results in resting state and task-based analyses, including differential FC between mPFC–cerebellum and hippocampus–cerebellum. These results emphasize that resting-state and task-based fMRI capture distinct patterns of brain connectivity. Further investigation into combining resting-state and task-based FC could inform future neuroimaging research.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Effects of animal-assisted therapy on dental anxiety, behavior, and perceptions in young pediatric patients: a blinded randomized controlled trial

  Trials · 2025-08-07

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Between 6 and 22% of children are affected by dental anxiety. Dental anxiety is a significant barrier to dental care and is associated with dental avoidance and negative oral health outcomes. Pharmacological methods of anxiety management are costly, carry risks of adverse outcomes, and may not be acceptable to some families. Alternative non-pharmacological methods are needed for the safe and effective delivery of dental care. Although there is an abundance of literature regarding animal-assisted therapy (AAT) in medicine, only preliminary studies on AAT exist in dentistry. To identify optimal outcome measures for evaluating AAT in pediatric dental contexts, a randomized controlled trial protocol was developed. METHODS: A prospective randomized controlled trial protocol was developed to examine the impact of AAT on objective (heart rate, salivary stress and pain markers, and observational coding) and subjective self-reported measures of anxiety, pain, and dental expectations in pediatric patients. The study is designed to enroll 180 pediatric patients (4-8 years old), randomized into three arms (n = 60 per arm) with stratification by age (< 6.5 vs ≥ 6.5) and gender (block size = 4). Two therapy protocols (+ Short AAT and + Long AAT exposures) will be compared relative to an active control (coloring a dog picture) during a diagnostic dental visit consisting of an oral exam, dental cleaning, and simulated bitewing intraoral radiographs. DISCUSSION: This study will provide information on optimal outcome measures to evaluate the impact of AAT on dental anxiety and behavior in pediatric dental patients. Determining the effects of AAT in pediatric dental care may provide a safe, non-pharmacological method of anxiety and behavior management, with broad translational impact. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov with number NCT05464888, on 15 July 2022 (first submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov) and 19 July 2022 (first posted to ClinicalTrials.gov).

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Adaptation and Implementation of Self-System Therapy for Older Adults with Advanced Lung Cancer: Pilot Trial Results

  Cancers · 2025-08-28 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Background/Objectives: Advanced lung cancer is a highly distressing disease that negatively impacts older adults. Supportive care interventions designed for this population are scarce and often inaccessible due to competing demands and transportation access. We adapted and refined an evidence-based treatment, Self-System Therapy (SST), to address the unmet needs of older adults with advanced cancer. Methods: Guided by principles of implementation science, we conducted patient interviews, focus groups, and user testing to refine our new SST for the lung cancer (SST-LC) protocol. We then conducted a single-arm pilot trial (clinicaltrials.gov NCT04057196) for patients aged 65+ and above with Stage III or IV lung cancer (N = 30). Benchmarks for acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary changes in outcome measures were assessed. Results: Our study met the desired recruitment goals and demonstrated high treatment adherence rates (89%) and satisfaction rates (85%), indicating that SST-LC was feasible and well-received. Participants also showed reductions in distress and depression, and improvements in emotional and functional well-being from baseline to post-intervention, with effects mostly maintained at follow-up. Physical well-being, social well-being, and quality of life showed smaller, non-significant changes. Feedback from participants also suggested that SST enhanced their resilience and ability to cope with cancer-related challenges, but also indicated a preference for fewer sessions. Conclusions: SST for older adults living with advanced lung cancer is feasible and acceptable. Moreover, this supportive care intervention shows promise in addressing psychological distress, emotional well-being, and functional well-being in older adults. Future research will include testing the efficacy of SST in a larger randomized controlled trial.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Identity, Resilience and their Psychological Impact Among Older Adults with Cancer

  2025-02-01

  articleOpen access

  Older adults (65+) make up 60% of cancer diagnoses and 70% of deaths related to cancer (Marosi & Köller, 2016). Although this age group experiences significant distress, behavioral studies investigating distress tend to be overrepresented by younger populations, leaving a gap in the knowledge about the distress needs of older adults (Chang et al., 2020). To bridge this gap, Dr. Katherine Ramos and Dr. Timothy Strauman of Duke University's Psychology Department conducted a pilot study that found two major themes related to distress in older adults: identity and resilience. The purpose of this study is to investigate the psychological impact of identity and resilience on the distress experienced by older adults with cancer. Using the two qualitative themes, identity and resilience, the researchers of this study conducted a narrative synthesis of contemporary literature surrounding identity, resilience, and their psychological impact on distress in older adults with cancer. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRIMSA) guidelines, the study found nine eligible articles. The study conducted a thematic analysis of the articles in this synthesis and found six themes: (1) reconstructing identity after diagnosis, (2) experiencing anxiety due to uncertainty of cancer outcomes, (3) needing to "push along" through a cancer diagnosis, (4) having access to social support increases resilience, (5) experiencing low resilience leads to demoralization, and (6) navigating cancer requires redefining oneself to confront cancer challenges. Future directions and clinical implications include adapting Self-System Therapy (SST) as a mental health intervention for older adults with cancer.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Evaluating effects of animal-assisted therapy on pediatric dental care patients

  The Journal of the American Dental Association · 2025-06-01 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Peer support: Current status and future opportunities for college mental health promotion

  Journal of American College Health · 2025-07-14

  article

  The past decade has seen a 60% increase in the number of programs providing peer mental health support. The availability, nature, and training requirements of programs varied widely, with implications for quality of support and stress on trainees. Greater collaboration may improve the impact of these programs.

  PublisherDOI

• Ontology, theory, and translation: Commentary on “Research on translational psychological treatment: A comprehensive bibliometric analysis”.

  Clinical Psychology Science and Practice · 2025-09-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R21MH052281

  NIH · $422k · 2000

• Pilot Research Project Core

  NIH · $13.4M · 2008–2026

• NIH Grant R01MH059106

  NIH · $958k · 2004

• NIH Grant P50MH061083

  NIH · $16.0M · 2005

• NIH Grant R01DA031579

  NIH · $1.9M · 2014

Frequent coauthors

• James A. Blumenthal

  Duke University

  40 shared

• Kari M. Eddington

  University of North Carolina at Greensboro

  39 shared

• Andrew Sherwood

  Duke Medical Center

  38 shared

• Michael A. Babyak

  Duke Medical Center

  36 shared

• Gregory G. Kolden

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  34 shared

• Angela Z. Vieth

  23 shared

• Heather S. Lett

  University of California, Irvine

  22 shared

• Clive J. Robins

  20 shared