Thomas Richard Kwapil

My program of research investigates schizotypy and schizophrenia from experimental and developmental psychopathology perspectives. My research focuses on developing and testing symptom, personality, neurocognitive, biobehavioral, and genetic associates of schizotypy. This program of research traces its roots back to Paul Meehl's landmark work on schizotypy and to the pioneering work on psychosis proneness by the Chapmans. It is guided by two primary questions: How can we identify individuals who are at risk for schizophrenia and related disorders, and how will identifying individuals at risk help us better understand the etiology, phenomenology, course, and treatment of these disorders? A secondary, but related, focus of my research laboratory examines bipolar spectrum psychopathology, and specifically clinical and subclinical manifestations of hyperthymic traits. My research into these topics employs cross-sectional and prospective studies and actively involves student researchers. My laboratory is currently focusing on research in three interrelated areas, including: 1) Expression of Clinical and Subclinical Psychopathology in Daily Life using Experience Sampling Methodology, 2) Identification and Assessment of the Multidimensional Structure of Schizotypy, and 3) Assessment of Risk for Bipolar Spectrum Psychopathology.

Note that I am recruiting graduate students for admission in fall 2023