Rebecca Waller

Associate Professor
BA, Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford
MSc, Evidence-Based Social Intervention, University of Oxford
Ph.D. (DPhil), Social Intervention, University of Oxford
Office Location: 
Office 465,Levin Building, 425 S. University Ave.
Email: 
rwaller@sas.upenn.edu
Website: 
http://www.upennedenlab.com
Research Interests: 
Developmental Psychology 
Developmental Psychopathology 
Clinical Psychology 
Developmental Neuroscience
 
Specific Research Areas 
Antisocial behavior; Callous-unemotional traits; Empathy and conscience; Parent-child interactions; Imaging gene-by-environment models of psychopathology 
 
Research Synopsis
I study socioemotional development, child psychopathology, and personality development. In particular, my research examines the environmental contexts that children grow up in and that give rise to the development of antisocial behavior, including aggression, violence, theft, and problematic alcohol and substance use, as well as related constructs, such as callous-unemotional traits, fearlessness, empathy, and conscience. My research explores how the environment interacts with genetic risk (i.e., using candidate genes, twin studies, adoption designs) to influence children’s socioemotional development by shaping brain structure and function (i.e., using fMRI, DTI). My work has a strong translational goal by focusing on understanding resilience among children and families to help inform prevention and intervention strategies for reducing antisocial behavior.
 
Dr. Waller will likely be recruiting for the 2025/2026 academic year.
For prospective PhD students applying Fall 2024 for admission in 2025/2026: Dr. Waller is waiting on the outcomes of several pending grant submissions. Please check back in mid-October for an update. Either way, we are prioritizing applicants with an interest/research experience in the following areas: (1) computational linguistics and computer vision/AI methods in psychiatry (including as relevant to externalizing psychopathology), (2) EEG in relation to externalizing psychopathology, (3) physiological/attentional systems underpinning externalizing psychopathology. If your interests/research experiences do not fall under these areas, we encourage you to seek alternative PhD supervision.
 
Selected Publications: 

Waller, R. & Hyde, L.W. (2018). Callous-unemotional behaviors in early childhood: the development of empathy and prosociality gone awry. Current Opinion in Psychology, 20, 11-16.

Waller, R., Dotterer, H.L., Murray, L., Maxwell, A.M., & Hyde, L.W. (2017). White-matter tract abnormalities and antisocial behavior: A systematic review of diffusion tensor imaging studies across development. NeuroImage: Clinical, 14, 201-215

Waller, R., Shaw, D.S., Neiderhiser, J.M., Ganiban, J.M., Natsuaki, M.N., Reiss, D., Trentacosta, C.J., Leve, L.D., & Hyde, L.W. (2017). Towards an understanding of the role of the environment in the development of early callous behavior. Journal of Personality, 85, 90-103.

Waller, R., Shaw, D.S., & Hyde, L.W. (2017).  Observed fearlessness and positive parenting interact to predict childhood callous-unemotional behaviors among low-income boys. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 58, 282-291

Waller, R., Trentacosta, C.J., Shaw, D.S., Neiderhiser, J.M., Ganiban, J.M., Reiss, D., Leve, L.D., & Hyde, L.W. (2016).  Heritable temperamental precursors of early callous-unemotional behavior. British Journal of Psychiatry, 209, 475-482.

Hyde, L.W., Waller, R., Trentacosta, C.J., Shaw, D.S., Neiderhiser, J.M., Ganiban, J.M., Natsuaki, M.N., Reiss, D., & Leve, L.D. (2016). Heritable and non-heritable pathways to early callous unemotional behavior.  American Journal of Psychiatry, 173, 903-910.

Waller, R., Corral-Frías, N., Vannucci, B., Bogdan, R., Knodt, A., Hariri, A.R., & Hyde, L.W. (2016). An oxytocin receptor polymorphism predicts amygdala reactivity and antisocial behavior in men. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 11, 1218-1226.

Waller, R., Hyde, L.W., Grabell, A., Alves, M., & Olson, S.L. (2015). Differential associations of early callous-unemotional, ODD, and ADHD behaviors: multiple domains within early-starting conduct problems? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 56, 657–666. 

Waller, R., Gardner, F., Viding, E., Shaw, D.S., Dishion, T.J., Wilson, M.N. & Hyde, L.W. (2014).  Bidirectional associations between parental warmth, callous unemotional behavior and conduct problems in high-risk preschoolers. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 42, 1275-1285

Waller, R., Gardner, F., & Hyde, L.W. (2013). What are the associations between parenting, callous-unemotional traits, and antisocial behavior in youth? A systematic review of evidence. Clinical Psychology Review, 33, 593-608

Advisees:

Samantha Perlstein [Psychology Graduate Student]

Alexis Broussard [Psychology Graduate Student]

Kristin Murtha [Psychology Graduate Student]