Professor Kristen Lindquist has been elected as one of six inaugural fellows of the Social Affective Neuroscience Society (SANS). New in 2026, the fellowship recognizes scholars who have made exceptional, lasting contributions both to the society and to the field of social and affective neuroscience more broadly.

“It’s incredibly meaningful to be named as an inaugural fellow,” said Lindquist, a professor of social psychology and cognitive neuroscience in the Department of Psychology.

“My scientific home has always been at the intersection of social, affective, and brain sciences, and I’m honored to be recognized by a community that has shaped how we think about how the brain creates our social and emotional lives.”

As a fellow, Lindquist will offer guidance to SANS leaders. She will also be part of the society’s mentorship program for trainees and junior faculty.

To be eligible for the fellowship, researchers needed to have held their doctorate for at least 10 years and made significant, original contributions to the field. In particular, the society looked at nominees’ research output and impact, as well as professional service and accomplishments in teaching and mentoring—all boxes that Lindquist checked handily.

Linquist joined Ohio State in August 2025 and was installed as the Robert K. and Dale J. Weary Chair in Social Psychology later that autumn. She leads the Affective Science Lab, where she studies the psychological, physiological and neural basis of emotions. 

Among other influential work, Lindquist’s research has looked at the effects of age-related brain and physiological differences on emotional experience, the impact of teens’ social contexts on neurobiological development, and the role of language and culture in emotion. 

Joining Linquist in the inaugural SANS fellowship class are Chelsea Helion (Temple University), Abigal Marsh (Georgetown University), David Smith (Temple University) and Shuo Wang (Washington University in St. Louis).

Founded in 2008, SANS supports research on the neural basis of social and affective processes. It has more than 400 members at institutions worldwide.