About The Author:
Tanja Jovanovic, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Emory University School of Medicine, where she received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience in 2002. With significant expertise in psychophysiological research with traumatized populations, Dr. Jovanovic completed a Postdoctoral fellowship at the Atlanta VA Hospital, working with Vietnam veterans with PTSD.
She currently directs the Neurophysiology Laboratory of the Grady Trauma Project in Atlanta and is the lead investigator of an exploratory research grant from NIH that aims to examine the effects of cortisol suppression on fear-potentiated startle in PTSD. Awards she has received include the National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Anxiety Disorders (NARSAD) Young Investigator Award for research examining early precursors of fear dysregulation in children of mothers with PTSD. Dr. Jovanovic’s research employs psychophysiological (e.g. acoustic startle response, skin conductance response, heart-rate variability)and neuroimaging (e.g. structural and functional MRI) methods. Her research program is interested in the interaction of traumatic experiences, neurophysiology, neuroendocrinology, and genetics in mental disorders in adults and children in high-risk populations. Dr. Jovanovic is a member of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.