Kathryn Unruh, Ph.D., University of Kansas
By Frontiers , Clinical and Translational Science Institute
Aug 30, 2024
Kathryn Unruh, Ph.D., University of Kansas
Combined Pharmacological Challenge-functional MRI Studies of Cognitive and Brain Mechanisms of Core Symptoms in Adolescents with Autism
Kathryn Unruh, Ph.D. from KU Lawrence, is currently participating as a scholar in the KL2 program. Her research project titled "Combined Pharmacological Challenge-functional MRI Studies of Cognitive and Brain Mechanisms of Core Symptoms in Adolescents with Autism" is being conducted in the Lifespan Institute under the guidance of Matthew Mosconi, Ph.D. This project commenced on July 1, 2023, and is set to conclude on June 30, 2025.
In her first year as a KL2 scholar, Unruh is working on a project to identify psychological and neural correlates of restricted, repetitive behaviors in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and test a new task for assessing drug effects on reward and cognitive control. Despite technical setbacks and a temporary MRI center shutdown, she has completed testing with eight participants, trained three undergraduate students, and developed a data processing interface. She has co-authored two manuscripts, is working on two additional papers, and submitted a K01 proposal to NIMH, while also engaging actively with her mentors and leading lab neuroimaging meetings.