Neuropsychology and Behavioral Neuroscience
The faculty of the Neuropsychology and Behavioral Neuroscience (NBN) Program offer training in clinical, experimental, and developmental neuropsychology and the behavioral neurosciences. Faculty with overlapping interests in understanding brain-behavior relationships have joined together to provide focused and in-depth training to students who wish to prepare themselves for applied or basic careers in the neurosciences. The program is designed to offer doctoral education for students whose interests are focused on the central nervous system foundations and correlates of behavior in humans and non-human species. The faculty have strong research programs in the development of auditory processing, learning and higher cerebral functioning, recovery of function in early acquired brain lesions, emotion and cortical function, developmental disorders, neurophysiology and functional neuroanatomy of pheromonal processing and social behavior, environmental and physiological influences on energy balance including the imbalanced state of obesity, neural control of behavioral rhythmicity, neuroendocrine control of social behavior, neurochemical regulation of memory, and the neuropsychological development of attention and visuospatial processing. The program stresses a multidisciplinary approach and interactions among faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students.
Students may choose from one of two tracks within this program. Track 1 is a joint NBN-clinical program and is designed to provide neuropsychological and neuroscience training to students who have primary interests or questions in applied and clinical populations and would also like to be eligible for clinical licensure. Students interested in Track 1 are applying to BOTH the NBN and the Clinical Programs, and must indicate the joint program on the application. Track 2 is designed to provide neuropsychological and neuroscience training to students who have either applied or basic science interests, but do not have an interest in being licensed. This is a flexible program that is designed to allow students to acquire the education, training and experiences necessary to become distinguished researchers, clinicians, and teachers. Track 2 students can be admitted into the program to work with a particular faculty mentor or can chose to rotate between two or three laboratories during the first year.
Stipends and Financial Assistance
All current students receive an annual stipend between $12,000-21,000 including a complete tuition waiver. NBN students are eligible to receive funding from the Brains and Behavior Graduate Fellow Program.
Faculty and Faculty Interests
Faculty members include Elliott Albers, Tim Bartness, Marsha Clarkson, Rob Latzman, Kim Huhman, Tricia Zawacki King, Mary Morris, Robin Morris, Marise Parent, Aras Petrulis, Diana Robins, Erin McClure Tone, and Walt Wilczynski. Sarah Brosnan, Gwen Frishkoff, and David Washburn are members of the Cognitive Sciences Program who are also associated with NBN program. Brad Cooke, Kyle Frantz, Anne Murphy and Sarah Pallas are faculty in the Neuroscience Institute who are also associated with the program. Matthew Grober is faculty in the Department of Biology who is also associated with the program. For further information about the interests of the NBN faculty, see Faculty Interests (NBN). Please see the Clinical Program page for a list of adjunct faculty with expertise in clinical neuropsychology.
Research Labs and Facilities in the Department
- Brain Electrophysiology of Language and Literacy Systems (BELLS) Lab
- Clinical Neuropsychology Laboratories
- Infant Hearing Laboratory
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Behavior
- Laboratory for the Neurobiological Study of Sociosexual Behavior
- Laboratory for the Study of Energy Balance and Metabolism
- MRI Training Environment (mock scanner)
- Neurobiology of Memory Laboratory
