Dr. Michael McDannald is a distinguished scholar and leader in the field of systems neuroscience with particular expertise in threat processing and fear behavior. Michael McDannald is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, Boston College (2014–present) where he leads an active research laboratory investigating the neural basis of threat computation. Dr. McDannald received his B.A. in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and completed his doctoral training under Peter Holland at Johns Hopkins University. His academic trajectory has established him as a prominent figure in contemporary neuroscience research bridging psychological processes with underlying neural mechanisms. Prior to his professorship at Boston College his interdisciplinary training equipped him with exceptional expertise in both behavioral paradigms and neural recording techniques.
Dr. McDannald's groundbreaking research has fundamentally advanced understanding of how the brain computes threat probability and processes aversive prediction errors with his 2022 Nature Communications paper revealing how brainstem networks construct threat signals from neuronal building blocks. His innovative work on dorsal raphe 5-HT neurons demonstrated their utilization but not generation of negative aversive prediction errors challenging previous assumptions in the field. Using sophisticated electrophysiological approaches combined with behavioral paradigms his laboratory has made seminal contributions to understanding threat signaling in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray ventral pallidum and nucleus accumbens core. These discoveries have significantly influenced theoretical frameworks regarding how the brain processes aversive events and computes threat probabilities in complex environments. His research program has generated substantial scholarly impact with over 2700 citations as documented in his Google Scholar profile.
Beyond his experimental contributions Dr. McDannald serves as Consulting Editor for Behavioral Neuroscience and as Editorial Board Member for Learning & Memory significantly shaping discourse in these important scholarly venues. He has established the McDannald Laboratory as a premier training ground for the next generation of neuroscientists conducting rigorous investigation into the neural basis of threat processing. His current research continues to explore the intricate dynamics of neural circuits involved in threat assessment and fear scaling with implications for understanding anxiety disorders and developing novel therapeutic approaches. Through his leadership in both experimental design and theoretical conceptualization Dr. McDannald has positioned himself at the forefront of systems neuroscience research on threat processing. His ongoing work promises to further illuminate the complex neural computations that underlie adaptive and maladaptive fear responses in both basic science and clinical contexts.
