Jim Coan

Jim Coan is an American social neuroscientist and psychologist, known for her research on social relationships, emotion regulation, and the brain. She is a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Virginia, where she directs the Virginia Affective Neuroscience Laboratory (VAN Lab).

Coan's research focuses on how social relationships, particularly close relationships, function as a primary mechanism for regulating emotion, managing stress, and buffering against pain. She utilizes neuroimaging techniques, such as fMRI, to investigate the neural substrates underlying these effects. Her work has demonstrated that holding the hand of a romantic partner during a stressful or painful experience can significantly reduce activity in brain regions associated with threat and distress.

Coan's research has also explored the implications of attachment theory for understanding emotion regulation and social support. She has published extensively on topics such as the effects of social support on pain perception, the neural correlates of secure and insecure attachment, and the role of relationships in promoting resilience. She has received funding from various sources, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Her work has been influential in shaping our understanding of the biological basis of social connection and its impact on mental and physical health.