Davidson Wins Top Honor From Psychological Society

Richard Davidson, the Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, this summer received the highest honor given annually by the American Psychological Society, the William James Fellow Award.

At the APS’s annual convention in July, Davidson received the award along with Edward Taub, a psychologist with the University of Alabama-Birmingham. The award is given for outstanding contributions in psychological research.

Davidson is internationally known for his work on the neural pathways of emotion and emotional disorders. He directs centers on campus sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health on both affective science and emotion research.

The citation praising Davidson noted that his work “has been a major force in re-establishing the importance of emotion in virtually all areas in the biobehavioral sciences.” He is also cited for having virtually single-handedly created a new hybrid field called affective neuroscience, which explores how the brain implements emotion.

“The remarkable range of his influence has secured a very significant place in psychology for the work of Davidson,” the citation reads.

APS, founded in 1988, has nearly 15,000 members and is dedicated to advancing the best of scientific psychology in research, application, and the improvement of the human condition.