Over Duke's 2018 Fall Break, five undergraduate neuroscience majors and three recent undergraduate alumni traveled to Philadelphia to attend the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroeconomics, an international meeting of scientists doing research on the neuroscience of decision making. The conference is regularly attended by graduate students, postdocs, and faculty members from the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, but this was the first year that a group of Duke undergraduates were in attendance.… read more about Undergraduate Neuroscience Majors Attend Their First International Conference »
The Department of Psychology & Neuroscience is happy to announce that Professor Staci Bilbo will be returning to the department as the Haley Family Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, in conjunction with the Bass Connections Brain & Society theme, on July 1, 2019. Previously she was the Lurie Family Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Neuroscience at Harvard Medical School, and the Director of Research for the Lurie Center for Autism, from July 2016 to June 2019. The broad goal of Dr. Bilbo’s… read more about Staci Bilbo returning to Department of Psychology and Neuroscience »
Through the generous support of the Charles Lafitte Foundation, P&N is pleased to announce the 2018 inaugural recipients of faculty seed grants, which will promote innovative research by teams of our faculty and students. The inaugural recipients are: Tobias Egner, Associate Professor: The Eyes are the Window to the Mind: Tracking Control over Multiple Items in Working Memory. Abstract Sarah Gaither, Assistant Professor: Social,… read more about P&N Faculty Seed Grants »
R. Alison Adcock, MD, PhD, recently named Director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience (CCN), has announced that Kevin S. LaBar, Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience in the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, will serve as Associate Director for CCN. Dr. LaBar’s appointment was made in consultation with CCN faculty and other members of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences (DIBS) community. “Dr. LaBar was an early member of the CCN and helped establish its international reputation,” Adcock said. “We… read more about Kevin LaBar Named Associate Director at Center for Cognitive Neuroscience »
What makes it so difficult to change our minds about moral issues, despite new information that contradicts our beliefs? P&N Grad Student Matthew Stanley and team recently published a paper that gives us some clues. The work was highlighted recently by the American Psychological Association's PEEPS, or "Particularly Exciting Experiments in Psychology." http://www.apa.org/pubs/highlights/peeps/issue-110.aspx Stanley is a PhD student in Psychology & Neuroscience at Duke University who entered through the Cognitive… read more about Moral Reasoning: Why it's hard to change beliefs »
Congratulations to all who participated in this year's Vertical Integration Program (VIP), the annual summer research program for Psychology majors. Beginning in May, VIP students conducted research with P&N graduate students and faculty mentors, and attended weekly seminars and statistical workshops. The program concluded with a poster session in Rubenstein Library on Thursday 7/12, in which students were able to present their research to the wider Duke Community. Names of our VIP scholars are listed below, with links… read more about 2018 Summer Vertical Integration Program Poster Session »
Duke’s Department of Psychology and Neuroscience hosted the Psychology One Conference this week in partnership with Stanford University. The Psychology One Conference is an intimate event dedicated to the teaching of introductory psychology. The conference was directed by P&N faculty member, Bridgette Martin Hard, who founded the conference and has organized it for the last seven years. “Introductory psychology acts as the spokesperson of psychology to millions of undergraduates every year," Hard said. "The course… read more about P&N Hosts Psychology One Conference »
Professor John Curry has recorded a DVD, Cognitive Behavior Therapy For Adolescent Depression, as part of the American Psychological Association's video series. The cognitive-behavioral approach demonstrated in this program by Dr. Curry is based in developmental psychopathology and social cognitive learning theory, and typically includes behavioral activation, problem-solving, and cognitive restructuring. In the therapy demonstration, Dr. Curry applies his… read more about Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Adolescent Depression »
Congratulations to Karen (KC) Young, winner of the 2018 Karl E. Zener Award. This award is given annually to an undergraduate psychology major at Duke University who has shown outstanding performance and scholarship, as determined on the basis of both the honors thesis (evaluated by a committee of faculty members) and the total academic record. Karen completed her Psychology BS and Chemistry minor this month, and will be heading to Chicago in the fall to start medical school at Northwestern University. Karen accrued a… read more about Karen Young receives 2018 Zener Award »
This week P&N kicked off their summer Vertical Integration program (VIP). VIP is the annual summer research program for Psychology majors, the intent of which is to give participants a head start on work that may culminate in a senior thesis. VIP students conduct research with both a graduate student and faculty mentor, attend a semi-weekly seminar series, attend a biweekly statistics workshop, and finally present their work to their peers, mentors, and (via poster session) the wider University community. … read more about 2018 Summer Vertical Integration Program, May 15-July 12 »
With less than a week to go until the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, P&N Assistant Professor Sarah Gaither has written an op-ed in vox.com and is also featured in a BBC documentary called "My Mixed Up World." In the op-ed, "I study biracial identity in America. Here's why Meghan Markle is a big deal," Dr. Gaither reflects on her own experiences growing up biracial in the United States and argues that "slow social acceptance of multiracial identities remains the norm, even though it is at odds with… read more about Why Meghan Markle is a Big Deal »
Congratulations to senior psychology major Joshua Lovett, who has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award to South Korea from the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to build lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic and… read more about Joshua Lovett named Fulbright Scholar »
Congratulations to our students for a successful P&N/CNAP first year festival, which was held Friday, April 13 in soc-psych 130 (Zener) The following students presented a diverse array of research topics: Ryan Hughes (SINS) Dynamics of Ventral TegmentalArea (VTA) neuronalsubpopulations in pursuit of reward Brenda Straka (Social) Expectations of Exclusion:How do our lived experiences color our perceptions Adam Stanaland (Social) Interpersonal consequences of the pressure to conform to social norms Sam Marsan (Clinical… read more about P&N and CNAP First Year Festival 2018 »
Sara Maurer, P&N graduate student, recently won a 2018 Bass Connections Award for Outstanding Mentorship. This award recognizes the vital role that graduate students and postdocs play in mentoring undergraduate students on Bass Connections teams. Read more about her award and the Bass Connections Project, Exercise as a Therapy for Cognitive Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease. Sara Maurer has one request for her peers, advisors, and all involved with P&N: eat more eggs! How many years of service… read more about P&N Person of the Week: Sara Maurer, 2018 Bass Connections Outstanding Mentor Award Winner »
The Resilience Project research team in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience at Duke University seeks highly qualified candidates for a Postdoctoral Associate position beginning July 1, 2018. The Resilience Project, funded by a grant from The Duke Endowment, is a four-institution longitudinal study examining social, academic, and health-related processes across the college years. The project is a collaboration between researchers and practitioners in student and academic affairs, with the goal of… read more about Postdoctoral Associate Position with Resilience Project »
Ciara Healy: librarian, philosopher, chef, roller derby coach, owner of a cat named Waffles. She does it all. How many years of service do you have at Duke? I just started my seventh year here. For all of those years, I have been the librarian for the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. Recently, I also became the librarian for Mathematics and Physics. What do you do for P&N? My job title is Subject Librarian; specifically, the librarian for psychology and neuroscience. But,… read more about P&N Person of the Week: Ciara Healy »
Duke’s Department of Psychology & Neuroscience has a rock star in their midst. Meet Robin Dunn. When asked what her hidden talent was, she said her fearlessness and lack of intimidation. She then shared this story: “When I was in my twenties, if our band played for the door, I was the money person. Anyone who walked in paid the cover charge. When the band called me on stage to sing, I watched the door; once I came off the stage, I went to anyone who came in during that time. One night, we were playing at a local biker… read more about P&N Person of the Week: Robin Dunn »
Sarah Turner grew up in a small town in rural Georgia; she lived with her mother and sister at her mom's gas station. Being a first-generation college student, the chance to major in psychology and history at a school like Duke seemed like a far-fetched dream. However, Sarah's sister inspired her sister to pursue what was passionate about, and to do more than she thought she was capable of doing. Now she is following her dreams to law school after spending four of the best years of her life at Duke studying what… read more about P&N Person of the Week: Sarah Turner »
In July of 2000, a fifteen year old Molly Weeks (then Molly Stroud) stepped off a plane in North Carolina. Dressed in a sweatshirt, she quickly realized she wasn't in Northern Alberta anymore. She left behind figure skating, synchronized swimming, cross-country skiing, and curling to call this new, humid land her home. In addition to adjusting to the dramatic differences in climate, Molly had to acclimate to a new school environment, one with much more emphasis on college education than she was used to. Molly also had to… read more about P&N Person of the Week: Molly Weeks »
Congratulations to Duke Psychology & Neuroscience PhD student Aaron Reuben who has been selected as the 2018 winner of the Richard Merritt Jr. Memorial Award for Excellence in Science Journalism for his piece “States May Be Intentionally Poisoning Each Other With Toxic Air.” This award annually recognizes a Duke graduate or undergraduate student for the best piece of science journalism produced during the previous calendar year. At Duke, Reuben is training to become a clinical neuropsychologist and public health… read more about Aaron Reuben wins 2018 Merritt Award for Science Journalism »
Throughout her lifetime, Dr. Sarah Gaither has lived in numerous areas of the United States, from California to Massachusetts to Illinois to North Carolina. No matter where she is, Dr. Gaither carries a sense of adventure; she says she is always open to trying new things. Except for skydiving. Never skydiving. And never anything with clowns. She says that they are not to be trusted, with their fake smiles painted on their faces, convincing everyone they're happy when they aren't. How many years of… read more about P&N Person of the Week: Sarah Gaither »
Congratulations to five P&N Ph.D. students who matched to top clinical internships. Once again, P&N had a 100% match in clinical psychology internships. Best wishes to the following students as they prepare to move forward to the final stage of doctoral training in clinical psychology: Nandini Datta Children's Hospital Stanford/Children's Health Palo Alto, CA Psychology InternshipAli Giusto Columbia University Medical Center New York, NY Child TrackAdrienne Romer … read more about Clinical Psychology Internships 2018-2019 »
Timothy Strauman and Angela Vieth from Duke’s Department of Psychology and Neuroscience (P&N) have just published two companion volumes outlining a new treatment for depression called self-system therapy or SST. Along with colleagues Kari Eddington (University of North Carolina at Greensboro) and Gregory Kolden (University of Wisconsin), their newly available therapist and client guides provide the essentials for therapists to learn how to deliver the treatment effectively and for clients to get the maximum… read more about A New Treatment for Depression: Strauman and Vieth Publish Therapist/Client Guides for Self-System Therapy »
Dr. Ahmad Hariri has advice for students: do not follow the script. Pursue your passions, and see where that takes you. Dr. Hariri's career shows that following the script, or checking off all of the right boxes is not the only path to success. Hariri's love of biology started in childhood; he was always fascinated by nature. This fascination, along with familial and cultural expectations, influenced his interest in pursuing a career in science. Initially, Dr. Hariri was convinced that he would pursue medicine; as a first-… read more about P&N Person of the Week: Ahmad Hariri »
Karen (KC) Young, a Duke senior from Wisconsin, harbors a strong sense of Midwest pride. She has three younger brothers. Her mother is a pediatrician, which Karen says may have influenced her decision to pursue a career in medicine. She recalls spending much of her time around children, and her fascination with them has led to working in the Wilbourn Infant Development Lab. In her free time, Karen likes to run (fun fact: she ran a full marathon the weekend before finals!) KC is a member of ADPi, Psi Chi, and Phi Beta Kappa… read more about P&N Person of the Week: Karen Young »
A boy is born in a hospital in the former Soviet Republic of Armenia in the early 1990s. His birth comes in the middle of the Soviet Union's collapse. The hospital he is born in has no running water, heat, or electricity. Shortly thereafter, the boy and his parents flee to the United States, desperate for a fresh start. The boy grew up cognizant of being an immigrant and the baggage that comes with that identity. He also harbored an appreciation for the opportunities living in America provided, opportunities others surely… read more about P&N Person of the Week: Andrei Amatuni »
P&N Professors Terri Moffitt and Avshalom Caspi are profiled in Science Magazine's article about the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study. Douglas Starr writes that "for nearly 30 years, Moffitt and Caspi have been collaborating on one of the more comprehensive and probing investigations of human development ever conducted." Read the article in Science Magazine: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/02/two-psychologists-followed-1000-new-zealanders-decades-here-s-what-they-found-about… read more about Caspi and Moffitt in Science Magazine »
P&N graduate student Nadia Brashier wins two big awards for her dissertation---one from the American Psychological Foundation/Council of Graduate Departments of Psychology and one from the American Psychological Association: www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2017/11/students-awarded.aspx www.apa.org/science/…/psa/2018/01/dissertation-research.aspx Brashier's dissertation is titled Heuristics for Truth Across the Lifespan: Amid concerns about "alternative facts" and "fake news," it can be overwhelming to decide… read more about Nadia Brashier Wins Two Awards for Dissertation »
We now are accepting applications for the 2018-2019 Costanzo Teaching Fellowships. The Costanzo Fellowship is a unique opportunity for undergraduates to receive substantial training in teaching as part of the teaching team for Introductory Psychology (PSY 101). Teaching Fellows are paid and are required to enroll in a 1-credit Psychology Teaching Seminar (that counts toward the Psychology major) during the fall term.Learn more about PSY 101 and the Costanzo Fellowship (including FAQs) here. Complete the online application… read more about 2018-2019 Costanzo Teaching Fellowships »
P&N's Ahmad Hariri talks about the teen brain and decision making on NPR's the 1A. In the episode he discusses how changes in the adolescent brain can lead to violence. Check it out here: https://the1a.org/audio/#/shows/2018-01-11/a-new-show-goes-inside-teenagers-brains/113223/@00:00 … Dr. Hariri is Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience at Duke University, where he is also the Director of the Laboratory of NeuroGenetics. Throughout his career Dr. Hariri has sought to systematically integrate available… read more about Hariri Talks about the Teen Brain »