Dr. Amaral's interests include research involving multidisciplinary studies directed at determining the neuroanatomical, behavioral and electrophysiological organization and functions of brain systems that are involved in learning, memory, emotion and social behavior carried out on the human brain and on animal models. He also conducts research on neurobiological correlates of autism.

Amaral’s lab carries out neuroanatomical studies of the hippocampal formation and amygdaloid complex of the macaque monkey and human brains. They are devoting increasing amounts of effort to understanding the morphological development of these brain regions. They also use noninvasive imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET), to study the development and functioning of the primate brain