Research: Active Projects
The LSCH has a variety of active research projects and continues to pursue innovative research questions using previously collected data and other secondary sources. Presently, we have two large data collections happening.
Connected Lives—Overcoming the Self Through Empathy (CLOSE)
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The Connected Lives—Overcoming the Self Through Empathy (CLOSE) project is a NIMH-funded neuroimaging study of perspective taking in close relationships. Close relationships are central to human wellbeing and health, but we need a deeper understanding of the interpersonal mechanisms that help shape these effects. This study recruits 200 couples from the greater Tucson community to participate in a variety of lab-based tasks, participants complete a detailed neuroimaging paradigm and multiple other forms of assessment. Local to Tucson? In a long-term romantic relationship? Consider joining our study.
Our latest paper from the CLOSE Study:
Guevara Beltran, D., Ma, S. S., Maresh, E. L., Coppola, A. M., Mehl, M. R., Andrews-Hanna, J. R., & Sbarra, D. A. (2026). Affective Science, 1-16.
BiG Study
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In collaboration with the Washington State Twin Registry, we run the BiG Study, a NIA-funded investigation of close relationships in twin pairs. The BiG Study involves several methodologies, including a detailed, Zoom-based neuropsychological assessment of participants’ cognitive aging and novel assessments of DNA-based biological aging. Some participants also wear the SocialBit, a passive sensing device designed to quantify time spent in social situations.