Jordan Pierce, Ph.D.

Close up of Jordan Pierce

Pronouns: Jordan
MRI Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Department of Psychology
CAN Lab

SDSU

Email

Primary Email: [email protected]

Building/Location

5500 Campanile Dr.
San Diego, CA 92182

Bio

Dr. Pierce is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab, under the direction of Dr. Maital Neta. Her research utilizes functional MRI to examine brain network organization, emotion regulation, and responses to emotional ambiguity across the lifespan.

Education

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology,
           University of Georgia 
Master of Science in Psychology,
           University of Georgia
Bachelor of Science in Psychology,
           University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Awards & Honors

  • Herbert Zimmer Research Award (2016).
  • Paul D. Coverdell Neuroimaging Program Fellowship (2015-2016).
  • Richard L. Marsh Mentoring Award (2014).
  • Franklin Foundation Travel Awards (Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015).
  • Graduate School Research Assistantship (2011-2013).
  • Undergraduate Cameron Morrison Merit Scholarship (2006-2010).

Presentations

  • Pierce, J.E., Peckinpaugh, I., Dodd, M.D., Smith, K., Haas, I.J., & Neta, M. Differential modulation of amygdala BOLD signal during emotion regulation as a function of reappraisal success. Poster presented at the 2026 Social & Affective Neuroscience Society Meeting, San Diego, CA.
  • Pierce, J.E. & Neta, M. Segregation of three resting-state brain networks predicts reappraisal success across the lifespan. Poster presented at the 2025 Flux Congress, Dublin, Ireland.
  • Pierce, J.E., Haque, E. & Neta, M. Affective flexibility as a developmental building block of cognitive reappraisal: An fMRI study. Poster presented at the 2023 Society for Affective Science Meeting, Long Beach, CA.
  • Pierce, J.E., Blair, R.J., Clark, K., & Neta, M. Reappraisal-related downregulation of amygdala BOLD activation occurs only during late trial window. Poster presented at the 2021 Society for Neuroscience Virtual Meeting.
  • Pierce, J.E., Saj, A., & Vuilleumier, P. Differential parietal activations for spatial remapping and saccadic control in a visual memory task. Poster presented at the 2019 Cognitive Neuroscience Society Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
  • Pierce, J.E. & McDowell, J.E. Differential effects of saccade trial type probability and task practice on behavior and BOLD activation in good and poor antisaccade performers. Poster presented at the 2015 Gordon Research Conference on Eye Movements, Waltham, MA.
  • Pierce, J.E. & McDowell, J.E. Effects of saccade practice and trial type probability on fMRI activation of antisaccade circuitry. Poster presented at the 2015 Organization for Human Brain Mapping Meeting, Honolulu, HI.
  • Pierce, J.E. & McDowell, J.E. Effects of trial preparation time and trial type probability on performance of anti- and prosaccades. Poster presented at the 2015 Cognitive Neuroscience Society Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
  • Pierce, J.E., McCardel, J.B., Coppiano, J.S., Rodrigue, A.L., Schaeffer, D.J., Arkin, S. & McDowell, J.E. Modulation of the neural correlates of saccade performance using task switching and trial type probability in an event-related fMRI paradigm. Poster presented at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience Meeting, Washington, D.C.
  • Pierce, J.E., McCardel, J.B., Coppiano, J.S., Rodrigue, A.L., Schaeffer, D.J., & McDowell, J.E. Antisaccade trial probability modulates saccade circuitry activation in a rapid event-related fMRI paradigm. Poster presented at the 2014 Organization for Human Brain Mapping Meeting, Hamburg, Germany.
  • Pierce, J.E., McCardel, J.B., & McDowell, J.E. The effects of saccade trial type probability on residual inhibition and task switching costs. Poster presented at the 2014 Cognitive Neuroscience Society Meeting, Boston, MA.
  • Pierce, J.E., Rodrigue, A.L., Krafft, C.E., Bobilev, A., Lauderdale, J.D., & McDowell, J.E. Differences in functional connectivity during resting state fMRI in individuals with aniridia. Poster presented at the 2013 Cognitive Neuroscience Society Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
  • Pierce, J.E., Krafft, C.E., Rodrigue, A.L., Weinberger, A.L., Schaeffer, D.J., Chi, L., Schwarz, N.F., Allison, J.D., Yanasak, N.E., Miller, P.H., Tomporowski, P.D., Davis, C.L., & McDowell, J.E. Associations of cortical thickness and subcortical volume with measures of cognitive performance in overweight children. Poster presented at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience Meeting, New Orleans, LA.

Publications

  • Journal Articles
  • Novotny, L., Pierce, J.E., Neta, M., & Schwarb, H. (submitted). Hippocampal contributions to reappraisal: evidence from structural and functional neuroimaging across a lifespan sample.
  • Pierce, J.E., Mackenzie, M., Gratton, C., & Neta, M. (submitted). Greater task-rest reconfiguration of functional networks is associated with better cognitive reappraisal success.
  • Ceravolo, L., Stiennon, E., Constantin, I.M., Chassot, E., Thomasson, M., Pierce, J., Sveikata, L., Cionca, A., Ronchi, R., Carrera, E., Grandjean, D., Assal, F., & Péron, J. (submitted). Attentional focus and emotion modulate voice recognition deficits in cerebellar stroke patients.
  • Sicorello, M., Zähringer, J., Kraynak, T.E., Gianaros, P.J., Nebe, S., Paschke, L., Steimke, R., Stelzel, C., Walter, H., LaBar, K.S., Graner, J.L., Kim, S.H., Wessa, M., Sandner, M., Weinmar, F., Derntl, B., Huneke, N.T.M., Fagan, H., Fernández, G., Yan, L., Marín-Morales, A., Verdejo-Román, J., Steward, T., Harrison, B.J., Davey, C.G., Dörfel, D., Neta, M., Pierce, J., Stolz, D.S., Kissler, J., Benzait, A., Erk, S., Berboth, S., van Reekum, C.M., Tupitsa, E., Mulej Bratec, S., Sorg, C., Müller-Pinzler, L., Sokołowski, A., Wojciech Ł. Dragan, Folkierska-Żukowska, M., Valerie L. Jentsch, Merz, C.J., Scheffel, C., Diers, K., Nashiro, K., Heinke, S., Min, J., Mather, M., Gärtner, A., McRae, K., Powers, J.P., Doren, N., Maier, S.U., Dziobek, I., Gaebler, M., Daniels, J.K., Burghart, M., Schmidt, S.N.L., Hofhansel, L., Habel, U., the NIDER consortium, Kohn, N., & Morawetz, C. (accepted). The elusive neural signature of emotion regulation capability. Nature.
  • Grisso, M.K., Harp, N.R., Schalk, J.C., Pierce, J.E., & Neta, M. (in press). Interpretation bias is shaped by differentiation of emotions between and within valence categories. Emotion.
  • Pierce, J.E., Harp, N.R., Gross, J.J., & Neta, M. (2026). Valence bias arises from both positive and negative responses to ambiguous stimuli. Frontiers in Psychology, 17: 1832043. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1832043
  • Pierce, J.E. & Neta, M. (2026). Valence as a construct of the perceiver: insights from studies of valence ambiguity. Affective Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42761-026-00384-7
  • Ceravolo, L., Thomasson, M., Constantin, I.M., Stiennon, E., Chassot, É., Pierce, J., Cionca, A., Grandjean, D., Sveitkata, L., Assal, F., & Péron, J. (2026). Influence of attention mechanisms on cerebellar and basal ganglia activity during vocal emotion decoding. NeuroImage, 334: 121980. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121980
  • Pierce, J.E. & Neta, M. (2025). Segregation of three resting-state brain networks predicts reappraisal success across the lifespan. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsaf055
  • Lorenz, T., Harp, N., Pierce, J.E., Angeletti, P., & Neta, M. (2025). Chronic stress may amplify gender/sex differences in amygdala reactivity to ambiguous emotional stimuli. Stress and Health, 41: e70035. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.70035
  • Pierce, J.E., Grisso, M. & Neta, M. (2025). Intersection of biases: In-group positivity for racially diverse ambiguous facial expressions. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations. https://doi.org/10.1177/13684302251320362
  • Pierce, J.E., Wig, G., Harp, N.R., & Neta, M. (2024). Resting state functional network segregation of the default mode network predicts valence bias across the lifespan. Imaging Neuroscience, 2: 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1162/imag_a_00403
  • Pierce, J.E., Jones, V.K., & Neta, M. (2024). A more connected future: how social connection, interdisciplinary approaches, and new technology will shape the affective science of loneliness, a commentary on the Special Issue. Affective Science, 5: 217-221. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42761-024-00266-w
  • Pierce, J.E., Petro, N.M., Clancy, E., Gratton, C., Petersen, S.E. & Neta, M. (2023). Specialized late cingulo-opercular network activation elucidates the mechanisms underlying decisions about ambiguity. NeuroImage, 279: 120314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120314
  • Pierce, J.E., Thomasson, M., Voruz, P., Selosse, G., & Péron, J. (2023). Explicit and implicit emotion processing in the cerebellum: a meta-analysis and systematic review. The Cerebellum, 22: 852-864. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12311-022-01459-4
  • Pierce, J.E., Clancy, E., Petro, N.M., Dodd, M.D., & Neta, M. (2022). Task-irrelevant emotional faces impact BOLD responses more for prosaccades than antisaccades in a mixed saccade fMRI task. Neuropsychologia, 177: 108428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108428
  • Pierce, J.E., Haque, E. & Neta, M. (2022). Affective flexibility as a developmental building block of cognitive reappraisal: An fMRI study. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 58: 101170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101170
  • Voruz, P., Allali, G., Benzakour, L., Nuber-Champier, A., Thomasson, M., Jacot De Alcantara, I., Pierce, J., Lövblad, K-O., Braillard, O., Coen, M., Serratrice, J., Pugin, J., Ptak, R., Guessous, I., Landis, B.N., Assal, F. & Péron, J. (2022). Long COVID neuropsychological deficits after severe, moderate, or mild infection. Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, 6(2): 9. https://doi.org/10.3390/ctn6020009
  • Voruz, P., Pierce, J., Ahrweiller, K., Haegelen, C., Sauleau, P., Drapier, S., Drapier, D., & Péron, J. (2022). Motor symptom asymmetry predicts short and long-term cognitive decline following STN DBS in Parkinson’s disease. Scientific Reports, 12: 3007. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-07026-5
  • Pierce, J.E., Blair, R.J.R., Clark, K.R., & Neta, M. (2022). Reappraisal-related downregulation of amygdala BOLD activation occurs only during late trial window. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 22: 777-787. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-021-00980-z
  • Saj, A., Pierce, J.E., Ronchi, R., Ros, T., Thomasson, M., Bernati, T., Van de Ville, D., Serino, A., & Vuilleumier, P. (2021). Real-time fMRI and EEG neurofeedback: a perspective on applications for the rehabilitation of spatial neglect. Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, 64(5): 101561. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rehab.2021.101561
  • Ceravolo, L., Frühholz, S., Pierce, J., Grandjean, D., & Péron, J. (2021). Basal ganglia and cerebellar contributions to vocal emotion decoding: a high-resolution fMRI study. Scientific Reports, 11: 10645. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-90222-6
  • Pierce, J.E., Ronchi, R., Thomasson, M., Rossi, I., Casati, C., Saj, A., Vallar, G., & Vuilleumier, P. (2021). A novel computerized assessment of manual spatial exploration in unilateral spatial neglect. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 32(6): 1099-1120. https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2021.1875850
  • Benis, D., Haegelen, C., Pierce, J., Milesi, V., Houvenaghel, J., Vérin, M., Sauleau, P., Grandjean, D., & Péron, J. (2020). Subthalamic nucleus oscillations during vocal emotion processing are dependent of the motor asymmetry of Parkinson's disease. NeuroImage, 222: 117215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117215
  • Pierce, J.E. & Péron, J. (2020). The basal ganglia and the cerebellum in human emotion. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 15(5): 599-613. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsaa076
  • Saj, A., Pierce, J., Caroli, A., Ronchi, R., Thomasson, M., & Vuilleumier, P. (2020). Rightward exogenous attentional shifts impair perceptual memory of spatial locations in patients with left unilateral spatial neglect. Cortex, 122: 187-197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2019.10.002
  • Pierce, J.E., Saj, A., & Vuilleumier, P. (2019). Differential parietal activations for spatial remapping and saccadic control in a visual memory task. Neuropsychologia, 131: 129-138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.05.010
  • Pierce, J., Ricou, C., Thomasson, M., & Saj, A. (2019). Sensorimotor plasticity in response to predictable visual stimuli could correct the signs of spatial neglect. Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, 62(3): 198-199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rehab.2018.11.002
  • Pierce, J. & Saj, A. (2019). A critical review of the role of impaired spatial remapping processes in spatial neglect. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 33(5): 948-970. https://doi.org/10.1080/13854046.2018.1503722
  • Wang, L.Y., Chung, J., Park, C., Choi, H., Rodrigue, A.L., Pierce, J.E., Clementz, B.A., & McDowell, J.E. (2019). Regularized aggregation of statistical parametric maps. Human Brain Mapping, 40(1): 65-79. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.24355
  • Kundu, S., Ming, J., Pierce, J., McDowell, J., & Guo, Y. (2018). Estimating dynamic brain functional networks using multi-subject fMRI data. NeuroImage, 183: 635-649. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.07.045
  • Burton, C.R., Schaeffer, D.J., Bobilev, A.M., Pierce, J.E., Rodrigue, A.L., Krafft, C.E., Clementz, B.A., Lauderdale, J.D., & McDowell, J.E. (2018). Microstructural differences in visual white matter tracts in people with aniridia. Neuroreport, 29(17): 1473-1478. https://doi.org/10.1097/WNR.0000000000001135
  • Rodrigue, A.L., Schaeffer, D.J., Pierce, J.E., Clementz, B.A., & McDowell, J.E. (2018). Evaluating the specificity of cognitive control deficits in schizophrenia using antisaccades, functional magnetic resonance imaging, and healthy individuals with poor cognitive control. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9: 107. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00107
  • Pierce, J.E. & McDowell, J.E. (2017). Contextual effects on cognitive control and BOLD activation in single versus mixed saccade tasks. Brain and Cognition, 115: 12-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2017.03.003
  • Schaeffer, D.J., Rodrigue, A.L., Burton, C.R., Pierce, J.E., Murphy, M.N., Clementz, B.A., & McDowell, J.E. (2017). White matter fiber integrity of the saccadic eye movement network differs between schizophrenia and healthy groups. Psychophysiology, 54: 1967-1977. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.12969
  • Grant, M.K., Bobilev, A.M., Pierce, J.E., DeWitte, J., & Lauderdale, J.D. (2017). Structural brain abnormalities in 12 persons with aniridia. F1000Research, 6: 255. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.11063.2
  • Pierce, J.E. & McDowell, J.E. (2017). Reduced cognitive control demands following practice of saccade tasks in a trial type probability manipulation. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 29(2): 368-381. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_01051
  • Pierce, J.E. & McDowell, J.E. (2016). Effects of preparation time and trial type probability on performance of anti- and pro-saccades. Acta Psychologica, 164: 188-194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2016.01.013
  • Pierce, J.E. & McDowell, J.E. (2016). Modulation of cognitive control levels via manipulation of saccade trial type probability assessed with event-related BOLD fMRI. Journal of Neurophysiology, 115(2): 763-772. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00776.2015
  • Schaeffer, D.J., Rodrigue, A.L., Burton, C.R., Pierce, J.E., Unsworth, N., Clementz, B.A., & McDowell, J.E. (2015). White matter structural integrity differs between people with schizophrenia and healthy groups as a function of cognitive control. Schizophrenia Research, 169(1-3): 62-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2015.11.001
  • Schwarz, N.F., Krafft, C.E., Chi, L., Weinberger, A.L., Schaeffer, D.J., Pierce, J.E., Rodrigue, A.L., Williams, C.F., DiBattisto, C.H., Maria, B.L., McDowell, J.E., & Davis, C.L. (2015). Antisaccade-related brain activation in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a pilot study. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 234(2): 272-279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2015.10.003
  • Pierce, J.E., McCardel, J.B., & McDowell, J.E. (2015). Trial type probability and task switching effects on behavioral response characteristics in a mixed saccade task. Experimental Brain Research, 233(3): 959-969. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-014-4170-z
  • Pierce, J.E., Krafft, C.E., Rodrigue, A.L., Bobilev, A., Lauderdale, J.D., & McDowell, J.E. (2014). Intrinsic functional connectivity networks in individuals with aniridia. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8: 1013. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.01013
  • Schaeffer, D.J., Krafft, C.E., Schwarz, N.F., Chi, L., Rodrigue, A.L., Pierce, J.E., Allison, J.D., Yanasak, N.E., Liu, T., Davis, C.L., & McDowell, J.E. (2014). The relationship between uncinate fasciculus white matter integrity and verbal memory proficiency in children. Neuroreport, 25(12): 921-925. https://doi.org/10.1097/WNR.0000000000000204
  • Schaeffer, D.J., Krafft, C.E., Schwarz, N.F., Chi, L., Rodrigue, A.L., Pierce, J.E., Allison, J.D., Yanasak, N.E., Liu, T., Davis, C.L., & McDowell, J.E. (2014). An 8-month exercise intervention alters frontotemporal white matter integrity in overweight children. Psychophysiology, 51(8): 728-733. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.12227
  • Krafft, C.E., Pierce, J.E., Schwarz, N.F., Chi, L., Weinberger, A.L., Schaeffer, D.J., Rodrigue, A.L., Camchong, J., Allison, J.D., Yanasak, N.E., Liu, T., Davis, C.L., & McDowell, J.E. (2014). An eight-month randomized controlled exercise intervention alters resting state synchrony in overweight children. Neuroscience, 256: 445-455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.09.052
  • Krafft, C., Schaeffer, D., Schwarz, N., Chi, L., Weinberger, A., Pierce, J., Rodrigue, A., Allison, J., Yanasak, N., Liu, T., Davis, C., & McDowell, J. (2014). Improved fronto-parietal white matter integrity in overweight children is associated with attendance in an after-school exercise program. Developmental Neuroscience, 36: 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1159/000356219
  • Krafft, C., Schwarz, N., Chi, L., Weinberger, A., Schaeffer, D., Pierce, J.E., Rodrigue, A., Yanasak, N., Miller, P., Tomporowski, P., Davis, C., McDowell, J. (2014). An 8-month randomized controlled exercise trial alters brain activation during cognitive tasks in overweight children. Obesity, 22(1): 232-242. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.20518
  •  
  • Books
  • Pierce, J.E., Roberts, K., Clementz, B.A., & McDowell, J.E. (accepted). Saccades: Fundamentals and Neural Mechanisms. In C. Klein & U. Ettinger (eds.), Eye Movement Research: An Introduction to its Scientific Foundations and Applications (2nd Edition).
  • Pierce, J.E. & Péron, J.A. (2022). Reward-based learning and emotional habit formation in the cerebellum. In M. Adamaszek, M. Manto, & D.J.L.G. Schutter (eds.), The Emotional Cerebellum. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol. 1378. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99550-8_9
  • Pierce, J.E., Clementz, B.A., & McDowell, J.E. (2019). Saccades: Fundamentals and Neural Mechanisms. In C. Klein & U. Ettinger (eds.), Eye Movement Research: An Introduction to its Scientific Foundations and Applications. Springer Nature Switzerland AG: Cham, Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20085-5
  • Krafft, C.E., Schwarz, N.F., Chi, L., Li, Q., Schaeffer, D.J., Rodrigue, A.L., Pierce, J.E., Dyckman, K.A., & McDowell, J.E. (2012). The Location and Function of Parietal Cortex Supporting Reflexive and Complex Saccades: A Meta-analysis of Over a Decade of Functional MRI Data. In A. Costa & E. Villalba (eds.), Horizons of Neuroscience Research, Vol. 9. Nova Science Publishers: Hauppauge, NY.

Service

  • Associate Editor for Frontiers in Human Neuroscience: Cognitive Neuroscience (2026).
  • Reviewed undergraduate research projects for UNL’s UCARE program (2022-2023).
  • Volunteered at the Food Bank of Lincoln during UNL’s College of Arts and Sciences Day of Service (2021-2022).
  • Volunteered at Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department COVID-19 vaccination clinics (2021).
  • Proctored medical student exams, University of Geneva (2017).
  • Served with the Academic Honesty Office, University of Georgia: Continuing Discussion Panelist (2012-2016).
  • Served with the Academic Honesty Office, University of Georgia: Multiple Violations Review Board Member (2014-2016).
  • Scored papers for the Georgia Junior Science & Humanities Symposium (2012-2016).
  • Tutored school children at the Thomas Lay Afterschool Program in Athens, GA (2011-2012).