Steve W. C. Chang, PhD
Associate Professor TenureDownloadHi-Res Photo
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Associate Professor, Neuroscience
Member, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience
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Appointments
Additional Titles
Associate Professor, Neuroscience
Member, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience
Contact Info
Appointments
Additional Titles
Associate Professor, Neuroscience
Member, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience
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Associate Professor Tenure
Associate Professor, Neuroscience; Member, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience
Biography
Steve Chang is an Associate Professor of Psychology and of Neuroscience at Yale University. He is a member of the Wu Tsai Institute and the Kavli Institute for Neuroscience at Yale. He is the co-Director of Graduate Studies for Yale's Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program (INP), and the co-Director of Undergraduate Studies for Yale's Neuroscience (NSCI) major. His research aims to understand the neural circuit mechanisms of social cognition and social decision-making. Major research approaches include using naturalistic social interaction paradigms combined with state-of-the-art behavioral and neural technologies. The ultimate goal of the research program is to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying social cognition and to learn how these processes may be disrupted in psychiatric conditions with social deficits.
Last Updated on September 22, 2025.
Appointments
Department of Psychology
Associate Professor TenurePrimaryChild Study Center
Associate Professor on TermSecondaryNeuroscience
Associate Professor on TermSecondary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral Research Associate
- Duke University (2014)
- PhD
- Washington University in St. Louis, Neurosciences (2009)
- AB
- Washington University in St. Louis, Psychology, magna cum laude (2003)
Research
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Overview
Please visit: https://changlab.yale.edu
Medical Research Interests
Amygdala; Neural Networks, Computer; Neural Pathways; Neurophysiology; Prefrontal Cortex; Social Behavior; Social Cognition; Theory of Mind
ORCID
0000-0003-4160-7549- View Lab Website
Chang lab
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Steve W. C. Chang's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Steve W. C. Chang's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Steve W. C. Chang is interested in exploring.
Anirvan Nandy, PhD
Monika P. Jadi, PhD
Jane Rebecca Taylor, PhD
J. Adam Noah, PhD
Alex Kwan, PhD
Joy Hirsch, PhD
72Publications
5,073Citations
Social Behavior
Prefrontal Cortex
Amygdala
Neural Pathways
Social Cognition
Neural Networks, Computer
Publications
Featured Publications
Closed-loop microstimulations of the orbitofrontal cortex during real-life gaze interaction enhance dynamic social attention
Fan S, Dal Monte O, Nair A, Fagan N, Chang S. Closed-loop microstimulations of the orbitofrontal cortex during real-life gaze interaction enhance dynamic social attention. Neuron 2024, 112: 2631-2644.e6. PMID: 38823391, PMCID: PMC11309918, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.05.004.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPrimate prefrontal cortexPrefrontal cortexSocial attentionOrbitofrontal cortexDorsomedial prefrontal cortexAnterior cingulate cortexCingulate cortexDirect gazeGaze interactionCortexGaze dynamicsControl different aspectsDistance of fixationDifferent aspectsGaze eventsPartner eyeGazeMultiple regionsMicrostimulationGaze positionAttentionSpatial dimensionsLatencyNeuronsDissociation of vicarious and experienced rewards by coupling frequency within the same neural pathway
Putnam P, Chu C, Fagan N, Dal Monte O, Chang S. Dissociation of vicarious and experienced rewards by coupling frequency within the same neural pathway. Neuron 2023, 111: 2513-2522.e4. PMID: 37348507, PMCID: PMC10527039, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.05.020.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsExperienced rewardsVicarious rewardBasolateral amygdalaAlpha/beta frequencyLocal field potentialsSame neural pathwaysSelect brain regionsSocial learningNeural systemsSocial interactionDirectional influenceRewardBrain regionsBeta frequenciesNeural pathwaysGamma frequenciesShared experienceDecision makingNeuronal interactionsSocial agencyField potentialsVoluntary choiceSocial choiceGyrusAmygdalaWidespread implementations of interactive social gaze neurons in the primate prefrontal-amygdala networks
Dal Monte O, Fan S, Fagan NA, Chu CJ, Zhou MB, Putnam PT, Nair AR, Chang SWC. Widespread implementations of interactive social gaze neurons in the primate prefrontal-amygdala networks. Neuron 2022, 110: 2183-2197.e7. PMID: 35545090, PMCID: PMC9262836, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.04.013.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricPrefrontal–amygdala circuits in social decision-making
Gangopadhyay P, Chawla M, Dal Monte O, Chang SWC. Prefrontal–amygdala circuits in social decision-making. Nature Neuroscience 2020, 24: 5-18. PMID: 33169032, PMCID: PMC7899743, DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-00738-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSocial behaviorSystems neuroscience perspectivePrefrontal-amygdala pathwaysPrefrontal-amygdala circuitsPrefrontal cortical regionsSocial cognitionNeuroscience perspectiveNeural basisNeuropeptide oxytocinBrains of primatesNeural mechanismsCortical regionsNon-human primatesSpecific instantiationSocial constructMultiple levelsCognitionNeuronal activityMultiple animal speciesNeurobiologyAmygdalaBehaviorUnderpinningsPrimatesConstructsIs There a ‘Social’ Brain? Implementations and Algorithms
Lockwood PL, Apps MAJ, Chang SWC. Is There a ‘Social’ Brain? Implementations and Algorithms. Trends In Cognitive Sciences 2020, 24: 802-813. PMID: 32736965, PMCID: PMC7501252, DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.06.011.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSocial behaviorNeural processesMotor facultiesInformation processingInfluential frameworkSocial specificitiesAlgorithmic levelGreater integrationPsychologyNeuroscienceBehaviorDifferent levelsImportant new insightsEmpirical approachMarrProcessingFundamental questionsBrainResearchMonkeysFrameworkHumansSpecialized medial prefrontal–amygdala coordination in other-regarding decision preference
Dal Monte O, Chu CCJ, Fagan NA, Chang SWC. Specialized medial prefrontal–amygdala coordination in other-regarding decision preference. Nature Neuroscience 2020, 23: 565-574. PMID: 32094970, PMCID: PMC7131896, DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-0593-y.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsMultiple cognitive operationsRostral anterior cingulate gyrusMedial prefrontal cortexSubcortical brain regionsAnterior cingulate gyrusCognitive operationsGamma frequency bandSocial decisionsSpecialized coordinationPrefrontal cortexNegative ORPSocial behaviorNeural populationsCingulate gyrusBrain regionsBasolateral amygdalaNetwork interactDecision preferencesSpecific directionalityNeuronal interactionsRewardGyrusAmygdalaPreferencesCortexThe Anterior Cingulate Gyrus and Social Cognition: Tracking the Motivation of Others
Apps MA, Rushworth MF, Chang SW. The Anterior Cingulate Gyrus and Social Cognition: Tracking the Motivation of Others. Neuron 2016, 90: 692-707. PMID: 27196973, PMCID: PMC4885021, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.04.018.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAnterior cingulate cortexSocial cognitionSocio-cognitive abilitiesAnterior cingulate gyrusCognitive processesError processingSocial informationCingulate cortexSocial interactionSocial behaviorCingulate gyrusCognitionTestable predictionsGyrusMotivationACCGFurther evidenceComputational propertiesKey mechanismCortexBehaviorProcessingEvidenceIndividualsAbilityOxytocin in the Amygdala Sustains Prosocial Behavior via State-Dependent Amygdala–Prefrontal Modulation
Meisner O, Dal Monte O, Fagan N, Nandy A, Chang S. Oxytocin in the Amygdala Sustains Prosocial Behavior via State-Dependent Amygdala–Prefrontal Modulation. Journal Of Neuroscience 2025, 45: e2416242025. PMID: 40789657, PMCID: PMC12410040, DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2416-24.2025.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsBasolateral amygdalaProsocial behaviorNeural activityProsocial choicesBehavioral effectsProsocial decisionsModulation of social behaviorMinimal behavioral effectsAnterior cingulate cortexSocial decision-makingControl conditionMale rhesus macaquesCingulate cortexNeural levelOxytocin's abilityOxytocin effectsMotivational stateTask engagementSustaining prosocial behaviorNeural responsesSocial salienceSocial behaviorSocial informationACCGAmygdalaDiverse and flexible strategies enable successful cooperation in marmoset dyads
Meisner O, Shi W, Nair A, Nandy G, Jadi M, Nandy A, Chang S. Diverse and flexible strategies enable successful cooperation in marmoset dyads. Current Biology 2025, 35: 4509-4521.e5. PMID: 40882630, PMCID: PMC12404675, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.08.005.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsDevelopment of a Marmoset Apparatus for Automated Pulling to study cooperative behaviors
Meisner O, Shi W, Fagan N, Greenwood J, Jadi M, Nandy A, Chang S. Development of a Marmoset Apparatus for Automated Pulling to study cooperative behaviors. ELife 2024, 13: rp97088. PMID: 39466838, PMCID: PMC11517257, DOI: 10.7554/elife.97088.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetric
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
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Honors
honor Kavli Innovative Research Award (PIs: Nandy, Jadi, Chang)
05/01/2019International AwardKavli Institute for NeuroscienceDetailsUnited Stateshonor Early Career Award
11/04/2016International AwardSociety for Social NeuroscienceDetailsUnited Stateshonor Kavli / National Academy of Sciences Frontiers of Science Fellow
08/01/2016International AwardKavli Foundation and National Academy of SciencesDetailsUnited Stateshonor NIMH Biobehavioral Research Award for Innovative New Scientists (BRAINS)
07/10/2016National AwardNIMHDetailsUnited Stateshonor Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow in Neuroscience
06/01/2015International AwardAlfred P. Sloan FoundationDetailsUnited States
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