Michelle M. Martel, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor- on leave
(2008, Michigan State University)
Research Interests
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common and costly childhood syndrome with a prevalence rate of 3-5% and a sex-biased prevalence rate of 3:1 (boy:girl). Dr. Martel's research utilizes a translational perspective to examine developmental pathways to childhood psychopathology with an emphasis on temperament and personality traits, executive function, and biological influences, particularly gonadal hormones and dopaminergic genes. She is especially interested in mechanisms that may lead to sex differences in the expression of common child externalizing disorders, especially ADHD, but also Oppositional-Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder, and substance use disorders. Because these conditions overlap so extensively, they cannot readily be studied in isolation. The main question her work addresses is: What biological and psychological mechanisms modulate the developmental pathways to childhood externalizing disorders and influence their taxonomic distinctions?
Ongoing and future work will examine relations between neuropsychological executive function (e.g., response inhibition) and temperament and personality traits (e.g., effortful control) in regard to developmental psychopathology with a particular focus on sex differences. More exploratory work will examine the relationship between prenatal hormone exposure and dopaminergic genes in the development of childhood externalizing disorders. Through the above avenues, it is hoped that individual pathways to psychopathology will be elucidated.
Participating students will have the opportunity to gain expertise in diverse, translational research methodology, including child development paradigms and coding systems, advanced clinical diagnostic assessment, neuropsychological and cognitive assessment, and advanced statistics.
Selected Publications (Click here for curriculum vitae)
Martel, M.M., Nikolas, M., Jernigan, K., Friderici, K., Waldman, I., & Nigg, J.T. (2011). The dopamine receptor D4 gene (DRD4) gene moderates family environmental effects on ADHD. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 39(1), 1-10.
Martel, M.M., Goth-Owens, T., Martinez-Torteya, C., & Nigg, J.T. (2010). A person-centered personality approach to heterogeneity in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 119(1), 186-196.
Martel, M.M., Gremillion, M., Roberts, B., von Eye, A., & Nigg, J.T. (2010). The structure of childhood disruptive behaviors. Psychological Assessment, 22(4),816-826.
Martel, M.M. (2009). Conscientiousness as a mediator of the association between masculinized finger-length ratios and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 50(7), 790-798.
Martel, M.M. (2009). A new perspective on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Emotion dysregulation and trait models. Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 50(9), 1042-1051.
Martel, M.M., Nikolas, M., & Nigg, J.T. (2007). Executive function in adolescents with ADHD. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 46(11), 1437-1444.
Revised 09/7/12