Fields His research has focused on
affective neuroscience,
neuropsychiatry,
trauma theory,
developmental psychology,
attachment theory,
pediatrics,
infant mental health,
psychoanalysis,
psychotherapy, and
behavioral biology. He has worked on effects of early trauma including in animals, and using brain development using neuroimaging to study the effects of attachment. He also works on
borderline personality disorder. He works as a psychotherapist. He leads Study Groups in Developmental Affective Neuroscience & Clinical Practice in Los Angeles, Berkeley, Portland, Seattle, Boulder, Austin and Albuquerque , and was a member of the
Commission on Children at Risk for the Report on Children and Civil Society, "Hardwired to Connect". According to
Google Scholar, Schore has been cited over 20,000 times in scientific literature.
Adaption, and Regulation of Affect A major interest of Schore's is the connection between the adaptation and regulation of affect, and its biopsychosocial underpinnings. On this he has written:"If…an infant, especially one born with a genetically-encoded altered neurophysiologic reactivity, does not have adequate experiences of being part of an open dynamic system with an emotionally responsive adult human, its corticolimbic organization will be poorly capable of coping with the stressful chaotic dynamics that are inherent in all human relationships. Such a system tends to become static and closed, and invested in defensive structures to guard against anticipated interactive assaults that potentially trigger disorganizing and emotionally painful psychobiological states. Due to its avoidance of novel situations and diminished capacity to cope with challenging situations, it does not expose itself to new socioemotional learning experiences that are required for the continuing experience-dependent growth of the right brain. This structural limitation, in turn, negatively impacts the future trajectory of self-organization." ==Main Publications==