Cavanaugh, of Mont Vernon, N.H., is a student in the neuroscience and behavior program in the Department of Psychology at UNO.  Cavanaugh's research focused on the effects of oxytocin on social motivation and social attractiveness in early development. This work, using young marmosets, is especially important, given the lack of pre-clinical work on using oxytocin in children suffering from social disorders (e.g., autism, social anxiety). 

His faculty mentor is Dr. Jeffrey French.