A rainbow of feathers floats upward like a psychedelic butterfly. Fingers of color, violet and lime green, seem to flow outward from the tips of the wings. If you didn’t know better, you might assume it is a work of art. Beyond their beauty, for Shawn Christ these images taken at MU’s new Brain Imaging Center reveal the brain’s activity and connections. In his role as Assistant Professor of Psychology and Director of MU’s Clinical Neuropsychology Laboratory, Christ studies how the relationship between the brain and behavior changes as we develop. Christ chose a career in psychology because it would combine two passions— working with kids and solving puzzles.

Christ works with diffusion tensor imaging, a game-changer in neuropsychology. DTI provides psychologists a new window into the brain's interconnections. He offers an analogy in terms of wires in a house. “In a good wire you have nice insulation, and the wire runs from your electrical box to your outlet,” he notes. DTI allows investigators to see whether there is any damage to the insulation around the wire and whether that wire is running where it should.