Dr. Shawn E. Christ is a Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Missouri, where he also serves as MRI Director at the Cognitive Neuroscience Systems Core Facility and holds an adjunct faculty position at the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. He directs the Clinical Neuropsychology Laboratory, which focuses on the cognitive and neurological processes in individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and phenylketonuria (PKU).
Dr. Christ earned his Ph.D. in 2004 from Washington University in St. Louis, specializing in clinical pediatric neuropsychology. He completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in cognitive neuroscience at the same institution, where he trained in the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study neurocognitive processes.
His research primarily aims to understand the development of cognitive abilities in children and adults with neurodevelopmental conditions, as well as the neurocognitive changes associated with pharmaceutical and behavioral interventions. His lab employs behavioral measures, patient-reported outcomes, and neuroimaging techniques—including fMRI, structural MRI (sMRI), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)—to investigate these processes.
Dr. Christ has an extensive publication record, with over 70 peer-reviewed papers in pediatric neuropsychology. He has received research support from various organizations, including the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the National PKU Alliance, BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., and the Autism Speaks Foundation.
His recent work includes serving as lead neuropsychologist for the PHEFREE longitudinal natural history study, which examines cognitive and psychological functioning in individuals with phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) deficiency.
At Building Bridges, Dr. Christ will present Inside Out: Mental Health, Stress, & Support in Rare Metabolic Disorders, where he will share critical insights into the psychological impacts of living with rare inherited metabolic disorders such as PKU, MSUD, UCD, and HCU. Grounded in his clinical research experience, he will discuss the neurochemical factors that contribute to anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances, and how these challenges may be intensified by the demands of managing a rare condition. Dr. Christ will also discuss his work on remote assessment and intervention, including an ongoing study of the effectiveness of remotely-administered short-term coping skills training in teens with PKU who are experiencing anxiety or depression. This session highlights the urgent need for accessible, targeted mental health support within the rare disease community.
We will also hear from Dr. Christ during the Bridging Generations: Carrier Trials Shaping PKU's Future discussing a new MRI study examining the effects of acute Phe intake on brain function and neurochemistry in individuals who carry the PKU gene (but don’t have PKU). What can we learn by studying carriers of rare diseases?