Tim Nelson has been named director of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior by Mark Button, executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer, effective Jan. 5.
Nelson, Mildred Francis Thompson Professor of Psychology, joined the university's faculty in 2009. His research interests are in pediatric health neuroscience, with a focus on the interplay between brain, behavior and environment in influencing child and adolescent health and development — specifically related to understanding the development and deployment of regulation abilities in the context of high-impact health behaviors (e.g., sleep, diet, physical activity, substance use) and related outcomes (e.g., obesity, mental health problems) in adolescence.
He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, highlighted by papers in some of the leading journals in pediatric health, behavioral medicine, prevention science, developmental psychology and clinical psychology. His research has been funded primarily by the National Institutes of Health, including nearly $12 million in funding as principal investigator and $44 million for projects on which he served as site principal investigator, co-investigator or associate director.
Nelson has also served as the associate director of the Rural Drug Addiction Research Center since 2020. He served as associate director of UNL's Clinical Psychology Training Program for 13 years.
"I am confident that Tim's deep passion for pediatric psychology and neuroscience and collaborative and thoughtful approach to leadership will drive strategic initiatives for CB3," Button said. "These initiatives will be aligned with the campus’ goals for CB3 including broader interdisciplinary partnerships, greater external funding opportunities, and stronger integration across campus."
Nelson received his Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of North Carolina. He received his Master of Arts and Ph.D. in clinical child psychology from the University of Kansas. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship in pediatric psychology at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
"I am excited to work with the talented faculty and staff within CB3 to maximize its potential as a thriving, high-impact, interdisciplinary research center," Nelson said.
