Email
gallen@austin.utexas.edu
Office & Hours
Office: SZB 254A
Wednesday: 1:00 p.m to 3:00 p.m.
or by appointment
Phone
(512) 471-0218
Fax
(512) 475-7641
Courses of Instruction
Biological Basis of Behavior
Neuropsychological Assessment & Intervention
Educational Neuroscience
Introduction to Biomedical Issues in Autism
Mailing Address
The University of Texas at Austin
Educ Psychol Dept
1 University Station D5800
Austin, Texas 78712
UT Mail Code: D5800
Full Vita
download vita (pdf)
Profile
Dr. Allen’s research is primarily focused on two complementary interests, the function of the cerebellum and the neural basis of autism spectrum disorders, which he investigates using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neuropsychological methods. In autism spectrum disorders, the cerebellum is one of the most commonly reported sites of brain abnormality. Dr. Allen’s current studies are investigating how changes in the cerebellum impact the development of brain connectivity, and how the development of aberrant cerebellar connections might impact behavior and the symptoms of autism.
Education
Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego
Representative Publications
Allen G, Buxton RB, Wong EC, & Courchesne E. (1997). Attentional activation of the cerebellum independent of motor involvement. Science, 275, 1940-1943.
Courchesne E & Allen G. (1997). Prediction and preparation, fundamental functions of the cerebellum. Learning and Memory, 4, 1-35.
Allen G & Courchesne E. (2003). Differential effects of developmental cerebellar abnormality on cognitive and motor functions in the cerebellum: An fMRI study of autism. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 160 (2), 262-273.
Allen G, McColl RW, Barnard HD, Ringe WK, Fleckenstein J, & Cullum CM. (2005). Magnetic resonance imaging of cerebellar-prefrontal and cerebellar-parietal functional connectivity. NeuroImage, 28, 39-48.
Allen G. (2010). The cerebellum in autism spectrum disorders. In: E. Hollander, A. Kolevzon, & J. Coyle (Eds.), Textbook of Autism Spectrum Disorders. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.
Current Research Projects and Grants
Cerebellar Anatomic and Functional Connectivity in Autism Spectrum Disorders (NIH R01 MH077147)
Research Interests and Expertise
The overarching goals of my research are to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neuropsychological methods to: identify brain systems that are different from normal in autism spectrum disorders (ASD); determine whether and how these differences are related to ASD symptoms; guide the search for ASD causes; guide the search for ASD treatments; and evaluate responses to treatment.
The emphasis of my current work is the cerebellum, the most consistent site of brain abnormality in ASD. The studies that we are currently conducting are aimed at investigating how changes in the cerebellum impact the development of brain connectivity, and how the development of aberrant cerebellar connections might impact behavior and the symptoms of autism. These investigations will lay the foundation for larger studies examining the cerebellar contribution to the neuroanatomic and neurofunctional phenotype of autism, as well as longitudinal studies examining the development of cerebellar connections and the impact of focused treatment interventions on improving brain connectivity and behavioral outcome in autism spectrum disorders.