Research Interests
I completed my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Illinois in 2009, and served as the Associate Director of Human Imaging at Penn State's Social, Life, and Engineering Sciences Imaging Center (SLEIC) until 2013. My clinical and academic research interests focused on stress, anxiety, depression, and their associated patterns of brain activity using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). In 2013 I decided to turn my full focus and attention from brain imaging research to a more experiential way of studying the relationship between the mind and the body: yoga.
My yoga studies and teaching are a natural extension of my clinical and academic interests. Yoga offers an experiential and holistic way of understanding the relationship between the mind and the body, as well as the application of tools to support greater health, balance, and wellbeing. For a full listing of my academic publications, presentations, and grant support, see my CV. |
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Publications
Beltz, A. M., Gates, K. M., Engels, A. S., Molenaar, P.C.M., Pulido, C., Turrisi, R., Berenbaum, S. A., Gilmore, R. O., & Wilson, S. J. (2013). Changes in alcohol-related brain networks across the first year of college: A prospective pilot study using fMRI effective connectivity mapping. Addictive Behaviors, 38, 2052-2059.
Spielberg, J. M., De Leon, A. A., Bredemeier, K., Heller, W., Engels, A. S., Warren, S. L., Crocker, L. D., Sutton, B. P., & Miller, G. A. (2013). Anxiety type modulates immediate vs. delayed engagement of attention-related brain regions. Brain & Behavior, 3, 532-551.
Warren, S. L., Crocker, L. D., Spielberg, J. M., Engels, A. S., Banich, M. T., Sutton, B., Miller, G. A., & Heller, W. (2013). Cortical organization of inhibition-related functions and modulation by psychopathology. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7:261.
Spielberg, J.M., Miller, G.A., Warren, S.L., Engels, A.S., Crocker, L.D., Banich, M.T., Sutton, B.P., & Heller, W. (2012). A brain network instantiating approach and avoidance motivation. Psychophysiology, 49, 1200-14.
Spielberg, J.M., Miller, G.A., Warren, S.L., Engels, A.S., Crocker, L.D., Sutton, B.P., & Heller, W. (2012). Trait motivation moderates neural activation associated with goal pursuit. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 12, 308-322.
Silton, R.L., Heller, W., Engels, A.S., Towers, D.N., Edgar, J.C., Spielberg, J.M., Sass, S.M., Stewart, J.L., Sutton, B.P., Banich, M.T., & Miller, G.A. (2011). Depression and anxiety distinguish frontocingulate cortical activity during top-down attentional control. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 120, 272-285.
Spielberg, J. M., Miller, G. A., Engels, A. S., Herrington, J. D., Sutton, B. P., Banich, M. T., & Heller, W. (2011). Trait Approach and Avoidance Motivation: Lateralized Neural Activity Associated with Executive Function. Neuroimage, 54, 661-670.
Sadeh, N., Spielberg, J.M., Heller, W., Herrington, J.D., Engels, A.S., Warren, S.L., Crocker, L.D., Sutton, B.P., & Miller, G.A. (2011). Emotion disrupts neural activity during selective attention in psychopathy. Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience, 1749-5016.
Engels, A. S., Heller, W., Spielberg, J. M., Warren, S. L., Sutton, B.P., Banich, M. T., & Miller, G. A. (2010). Co-occurring anxiety influences patterns of brain activity in depression. Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience, 10, 141-156.
Silton, R. L., Miller, G. A., Towers, D. N., Engels, A. S., Edgar, J. C., Spielberg, J. M., Sass, S. M., Stewart, J. L., Sutton, B. P., Banich, M. T., & Heller, W. (2010). The time course of activity in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex during top-down attentional control. NeuroImage, 50, 1292 – 1302.
Herrington, J. D., Heller, W., Mohanty, A., Engels, A. S., Banich, M. T., Webb, A. G., and Miller, G. A. (2010). Localization of asymmetric brain function in emotion and depression. Psychophysiology, 47, 442-454.
Warren, S. L., Bost, K. K., Roisman, G. I., Silton, R. L., Spielberg, J. M., Engels, A. S., Choi, E., Sutton, B. P., Miller, G. A., Heller, W. (2010). Effects of adult attachment and emotional distracters on brain mechanisms of cognitive control. Psychological Science, 21, 1818-1826.
Engels, A. S., Heller, W., Mohanty, A., Herrington, J. D., Banich, M. T., Webb, A. G., &
Miller, G. A. (2007). Specificity of regional brain activity in anxiety types during emotion processing. Psychophysiology, 44, 352-363.
Mohanty, A., Engels, A. S., Herrington, J. D., Heller, W., Ho, R. M., Banich, M. T., Webb, A. G., Warren, S. L., & Miller, G. A. (2007). Differential engagement of anterior cingulate cortex subdivisions for cognitive and emotional function. Psychophysiology, 44, 343-351.
Miller, G. A., Engels, A. S., & Herrington, J. D., (2007). The seduction of clinical science: Challenges in psychological and biological convergence. In T. Treat, R. Bootzin, & R. Levenson (Eds.), Psychological clinical science: Papers in honor of Richard McFall (pp. 53-74). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Spielberg, J. M., De Leon, A. A., Bredemeier, K., Heller, W., Engels, A. S., Warren, S. L., Crocker, L. D., Sutton, B. P., & Miller, G. A. (2013). Anxiety type modulates immediate vs. delayed engagement of attention-related brain regions. Brain & Behavior, 3, 532-551.
Warren, S. L., Crocker, L. D., Spielberg, J. M., Engels, A. S., Banich, M. T., Sutton, B., Miller, G. A., & Heller, W. (2013). Cortical organization of inhibition-related functions and modulation by psychopathology. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7:261.
Spielberg, J.M., Miller, G.A., Warren, S.L., Engels, A.S., Crocker, L.D., Banich, M.T., Sutton, B.P., & Heller, W. (2012). A brain network instantiating approach and avoidance motivation. Psychophysiology, 49, 1200-14.
Spielberg, J.M., Miller, G.A., Warren, S.L., Engels, A.S., Crocker, L.D., Sutton, B.P., & Heller, W. (2012). Trait motivation moderates neural activation associated with goal pursuit. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 12, 308-322.
Silton, R.L., Heller, W., Engels, A.S., Towers, D.N., Edgar, J.C., Spielberg, J.M., Sass, S.M., Stewart, J.L., Sutton, B.P., Banich, M.T., & Miller, G.A. (2011). Depression and anxiety distinguish frontocingulate cortical activity during top-down attentional control. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 120, 272-285.
Spielberg, J. M., Miller, G. A., Engels, A. S., Herrington, J. D., Sutton, B. P., Banich, M. T., & Heller, W. (2011). Trait Approach and Avoidance Motivation: Lateralized Neural Activity Associated with Executive Function. Neuroimage, 54, 661-670.
Sadeh, N., Spielberg, J.M., Heller, W., Herrington, J.D., Engels, A.S., Warren, S.L., Crocker, L.D., Sutton, B.P., & Miller, G.A. (2011). Emotion disrupts neural activity during selective attention in psychopathy. Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience, 1749-5016.
Engels, A. S., Heller, W., Spielberg, J. M., Warren, S. L., Sutton, B.P., Banich, M. T., & Miller, G. A. (2010). Co-occurring anxiety influences patterns of brain activity in depression. Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience, 10, 141-156.
Silton, R. L., Miller, G. A., Towers, D. N., Engels, A. S., Edgar, J. C., Spielberg, J. M., Sass, S. M., Stewart, J. L., Sutton, B. P., Banich, M. T., & Heller, W. (2010). The time course of activity in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex during top-down attentional control. NeuroImage, 50, 1292 – 1302.
Herrington, J. D., Heller, W., Mohanty, A., Engels, A. S., Banich, M. T., Webb, A. G., and Miller, G. A. (2010). Localization of asymmetric brain function in emotion and depression. Psychophysiology, 47, 442-454.
Warren, S. L., Bost, K. K., Roisman, G. I., Silton, R. L., Spielberg, J. M., Engels, A. S., Choi, E., Sutton, B. P., Miller, G. A., Heller, W. (2010). Effects of adult attachment and emotional distracters on brain mechanisms of cognitive control. Psychological Science, 21, 1818-1826.
Engels, A. S., Heller, W., Mohanty, A., Herrington, J. D., Banich, M. T., Webb, A. G., &
Miller, G. A. (2007). Specificity of regional brain activity in anxiety types during emotion processing. Psychophysiology, 44, 352-363.
Mohanty, A., Engels, A. S., Herrington, J. D., Heller, W., Ho, R. M., Banich, M. T., Webb, A. G., Warren, S. L., & Miller, G. A. (2007). Differential engagement of anterior cingulate cortex subdivisions for cognitive and emotional function. Psychophysiology, 44, 343-351.
Miller, G. A., Engels, A. S., & Herrington, J. D., (2007). The seduction of clinical science: Challenges in psychological and biological convergence. In T. Treat, R. Bootzin, & R. Levenson (Eds.), Psychological clinical science: Papers in honor of Richard McFall (pp. 53-74). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.