Professor Receives Early Career Award for Psychopathy Research

Dr. Andrea Glenn
Dr. Andrea Glenn

From the June 2017 Desktop News | Dr. Andrea Glenn, assistant professor of psychology, was recently awarded the Jevon S. Newman Early Career Award by the Society for the Scientific Study of Psychopathy.

The award is given every two years to two recipients who “show promise and productivity in the formative years of their career and who have made a significant contribution to the understanding of psychopathy,” according to the society’s website.

Glenn explained that people with psychopathy tend to be impulsive, irresponsible and manipulative—lacking empathy, guilt, and remorse. She’s spent her career studying those behaviors and looking at biological factors associated with them through brain imaging and hormone research.

The brain imaging portion of her research shows differences in brain structure and function, and her hormone research has shown differences in cortisol and testosterone levels in people with psychopathy.

Her research is done on adults as well as children. Glenn currently works in the Center for the Prevention of Youth Behavior Problems on UA’s campus, which is a research facility aiming to lead in research and policy in the prevention of youth violence and antisocial behavior.

Glenn recently traveled to the society’s biennial conference held in Belgium to give a talk on moral decision-making in psychopathy and tailored interventions for children with conduct problems. Following her presentation, she received her award.

“It’s nice to know other researchers in this field have recognized my work so far,” Glenn said. “I hope to do more intervention research looking at biological factors that may moderate how children respond to interventions.”

Glenn was also recently elected to the society’s executive board. She will be involved in managing the society and planning the next conference held in 2019.