Professor Richard Lopez is a social neuroscientist who teaches and conducts research on emotions, digital media use, and mental health and wellbeing.  He directs the Social Neuroscience of Affective Processes (SNAP) Lab at WPI which studies the psychological and neural bases of how people align their emotions and behaviors with values and goals they are pursuing. To conduct this research, Lopez and his team utilize advanced neuroimaging tools, psychological theories, and behavior modeling. Ultimately, his work seeks to develop interventions that can enhance people’s health and wellbeing.  

Professor Lopez can speak with reporters about various topics stemming from his research program, such as emotion regulation, the social neuroscience of emotions and wellbeing, and the psychological impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) on learning and human connection. He has extensive experience writing and speaking about his research. He has written for the Templeton Foundation and his expertise has been featured in the Washington Post. He has also appeared on podcasts and given talks, including a TEDx talk on how we can promote authentic social relationships in our digital age.