The Brain's Primitive 'Fear Center' Is Actually a Sophisticated Mediator
Jae Hyung Woo, a Guarini PhD candidate in psychological and brain sciences, is first author of a new Nature Communications study showing that the amygdala does more than process fear—it mediates between competing learning strategies when we make decisions under uncertainty. Read more.
An Inside Look at Life Sciences Consulting
Kristen Garner Amanti, GR’10 MED’10, now a partner at ClearView Healthcare Partners, returned to Guarini to discuss her path from pharmacology PhD to life sciences strategy consulting and how doctoral training prepares researchers to solve complex problems beyond the bench. Read more.
Clean Energy, Affordability, and the Data Center Boom
Graduate student Caroline Hansley (masters of energy transition) examines how surging electricity demand from data centers and AI is driving proposals for new fossil fuel infrastructure in North Carolina. In NC Newsline, Hansley argues that renewables offer a faster, cheaper, and cleaner path forward for ratepayers. Read on NC Newsline.
How Social Influence Shapes How We Feel Pain
Aryan Yazdanpanah, a doctoral student and Innovation Fellow in the psychological and brain sciences program, contributed to research showing how social expectations can influence how we experience pain and effort, revealing how beliefs shaped by others can amplify perception and reinforce themselves over time. Read more on Earth.com.
New Guarini Doctoral Program Bridges Data, Disciplines, and Discovery
The Guarini School is launching a new PhD program in computational science and modeling, bringing together disciplines to train students to tackle complex, data-driven challenges with rigorous, collaborative approaches. Read more.
Graduate Student Appreciation Week 2026
Join us April 6–10 for a week of events celebrating Guarini graduate students.
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