Mental State Processing and Psychopathology Lab

Faculty Director

About Us

In the Mental State Processing and Psychopathology Lab, we conduct basic and applied research to understand how we process information about the minds of ourselves and others. Mental state processing (also referred to as “theory of mind” or “mentalization”) involves identifying, predicting, and altering everyday internal thoughts and emotions. These processes are central to functioning in our social world and are implicated across nearly all forms of mental illness. 

Our research aims to understand the structure, functional outcomes, and malleability of mental state processing across the full spectrum of health and psychiatric illness. The ultimate goal of this work is to provide insights on transdiagnostic targets for interventions that will facilitate the refinement of treatments to the basic mechanisms of psychopathology. ​​ 

Join Us

Prospective Graduate Students: Dr. Hudson will not be reviewing applications for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Prospective Research Assistants: We consider applications from prospective research assistants on a rolling basis. Interested applicants should e-mail their CV, transcript, and a brief description of why they are interested in working in the lab to Dr. Hudson at chloehudson@vt.edu.