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.
We are dedicated to training the next generation of clinical scientists and promoting open science practices. We fully affirm the College of Science's statement on inclusion and diversity and strive to create a lab culture that is welcoming and inclusive of individuals from all backgrounds.
Join Us
Prospective Graduate Students: Dr. Hudson will be reviewing applications for the 2025-2026 academic year (application deadline: December 1, 2024). All applicants who wish to join our lab as a graduate student must submit their applications through a centralized portal that can be found here.
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.