Department of Psychology & Neuroscience
DURHAM, NC – Scientists can now pinpoint where someone’s eyes are looking just by listening to their ears. “You can actually estimate the movement of the eyes, the position of the target that the eyes are going to look at, just from recordings made with a microphone in the ear canal,” said Jennifer Groh, Ph.D., senior author of the new report, and a professor in the departments of psychology & neuroscience as well as neurobiology at Duke University. In 2018, Groh’s team discovered that the ears make a subtle,… read more about Your Eyes Talk to Your Ears. Scientists Know What They’re Saying. »
Name Disha Jotsinghani Major Neuroscience Minor Chemistry and Global Health Hometown Columbus, OH Why Neuroscience? I love the neuroscience major because of how interdisciplinary it is. Studying the brain from a molecular, neural, and behavioral level has given me a well-rounded explanation of why humans act the way we do. I’ve also been able to apply my neuroscience knowledge to… read more about Student Spotlight: Disha Jotsinghani »
In 2020, the suicide rate for Veterans was 57.3% greater than for non-Veteran U.S. adults, adjusting for age and sex differences. This statistic underscores the vital importance of Timothy Strauman’s research. The Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience studies the factors that influence our ability to regulate our emotions and the health consequences, including depression and suicide, that can arise when we’re unsuccessful. One of his most recent projects focused on a population that is particularly… read more about Combating Veterans “Deaths of Despair” »
Majoring in Neuroscience with minors in Chemistry and Visual & Media Studies and on the pre-med track, Stephany Perez-Sanchez knew she wanted to pursue a career in medicine, all thanks to a high-school psychology course. “My favorite unit in that class was neuroanatomy,” the junior explains. “I was so fascinated by the brain and how this structure controls all our functions.” She brought her cerebral fascination to Duke and began her research in earnest during the summer of 2022 in the Huang Fellows Program. Focusing… read more about Future Physician Discovers Intersections Between Media and Science »
DURHAM, NC – Curiosity paradoxically increases people’s eagerness and patience for an answer, finds a new study by Duke neuroscientists. The research might help teachers and students alike by describing a side of curiosity that encourages us to stay engaged instead of seeking immediate relief. Die-hard fans of the Hulu show, "The Bear" are left on the edge of their seats each Sunday, wondering what's going to happen in the scrappy Chicago hotdog shop next week. But new research from neuroscientists at Duke University… read more about What an Animated Taco Reveals About Curiosity and Patience »
Emma Grisham, Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, is the department’s first-ever “teaching postdoc.” Working alongside Professor of the Practice of Psychology and Neuroscience Bridgette Hard, Grisham is developing expertise in the teaching of psychology. Co-leading the mammoth Introductory to Psychology course (PSY 101), which enrolls close to 700 Duke students a year, as well as the Costanzo Teaching Fellows program, which mentors a cohort of undergraduate students each year to… read more about Meet Emma Grisham, the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience’s First Teaching Postdoc »
Julia Leeman, a double major in Neuroscience and Music, was first drawn to biology and psychology in high school. “I found it interesting to reflect on what others were thinking, but I was also fascinated by the idea of understanding the biological basis,” the senior explains. “I knew that when I went to college, I really wanted to see what neuroscience was all about.” As a first-year student at Duke, Leeman was a part of the FOCUS program, Cognitive Neuroscience and the Law, and learned first-hand what primary research… read more about Listen to This: Neuroscience and Music in Conversation »
Today's student spotlight feature includes a participant in the Summer Neuroscience Program (SNP). SNP is an eight-week program that allows neuroscience majors to get started on their research endeavors. Major Neuroscience Hometown Hefei, Anhui, China Research Area for SNP Stroke repair with biomaterials Highlight of SNP this Summer Independently planned out experiments and… read more about SNP Student Spotlight: Yike Zhu »
Associate Research Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience Maureen Craig joins the Duke faculty this year. (John West/Trinity Communications) As an undergraduate student, Maureen Craig was deeply interested in psychology but didn’t consider the discipline a practical career choice. Pragmatic by nature, Craig instead chose a civil engineering track. But an eye-opening summer internship in the male-dominated field changed her mind. “I had to find a new major,” she said.… read more about Psychologist Maureen Craig Studies How Diversity and Inequality Shape Group Relations »
Hometown Wheeling, WV & Sanford, NC Research Area Neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and dementia risk at the Moffitt-Caspi Lab. Our project assesses the social determinants of healthy brain development and aging, focusing specifically on midlife risk for dementia. Why Duke? The people & the school spirit! Duke is full of passionate, unique, and kind-hearted individuals who have helped make me who I am today. The… read more about Student Spotlight: Dev Shah »
Generous funding from the Charles Lafitte Foundation Program in Psychological & Neuroscience Research at Duke University has come full circle, providing positive experiences for families worldwide. Eve Puffer, Pamela and Jack Egan Associate Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience, was awarded a Lafitte Faculty Seed Grant to help foster programs that teach families practices that create healthy, functioning environments for children and their caregivers. In partnership with Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI… read more about It Takes a Village: "Tuko Pamoja" Two-Tiered Approach to Family Intervention »
Is hope everything Disney promises it is? Does hope really have an impact on seemingly unattainable dreams? Through gripping anecdotes and illuminating revelations, our speaker grapples with her views of hope and redefines its meaning in the context of her father’s own battle with a terminal illness. Jothi Gupta is a Robertson scholar and freshman at Duke. She plans to study neuroscience, psychology and journalism. Jothi is a staff writer for The Chronicle focusing on student life… read more about Is Hope Overrated? Jothi Gupta Shares Her Story From the TEDx Stage »
DURHAM, N.C. – A simple shift from a high-pressure mindset to a curious one improves people’s memory. New research from Duke found that people who imagined being a thief scouting a virtual art museum in preparation for a heist were better at remembering the paintings they saw, compared to people who played the same computer game while imagining that they were executing the heist in-the-moment. These subtle differences in motivation — urgent, immediate goal-seeking versus curious exploration for a future goal — have big… read more about This One Simple Brain Hack Might Boost Learning and Improve Mental Health »