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Research Programs

Psychological and Brain Sciences

Innovative, collaborative and interdisciplinary research

For graduate and undergraduate students, research is integral to the Psychological and Brain Sciences academic programs at the University of Delaware. We provide rigorous training experiences that span coursework, scholarship, instruction and community involvement.

Our students work alongside faculty recognized for their published research and roles with prestigious organizations and editorial boards around the world. Our faculty have consistently attracted major funding from leading national agencies. 

UD faculty and students in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences are advancing research and scholarship in psychology and neuroscience through the department's partnerships with research centers, which facilitate collaborations across disciplines, agencies, and organizations. Our faculty direct three major research centers at UD that fuel collaborative work across the University and beyond. 

Research Centers at UD

The Center for Biomedical and Brain Imaging houses the first research fMRI scanner in the state of Delaware, serving researchers campuswide, statewide and throughout the region. The center is advancing research on psychopathology, cancer, stroke, cerebral palsy, osteoporosis and other diseases and disorders.

UD’s Center for Training, Evaluation and Community Collaboration (C-TECC) partners with multiple community agencies and organizations to conduct research and evaluation, train mental health providers in evidence-based practices, and build capacity in mental health care systems. 

Supported by grants from the National Institute of Health, the Delaware Center for Neuroscience Research is a joint effort between Delaware State University and the University of Delaware to strengthen and support neuroscience research across the state.

CBBI

The University of Delaware's 3 Tesla Function Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner, housed inside UD's Center for Biomedical & Brain Imaging.

About

UD's Center for Biomedical and Brain Imaging, an 11,600-square-foot, two-story extension to the Life Sciences Research Facility, houses the first research fMRI scanner in the state of Delaware. The fMRI can map brain activity, as well as provide remarkably detailed images of muscles, discs, bones and organs. Serving researchers campuswide, statewide and throughout the region, the center will advance research on psychopathology, cancer, stroke, cerebral palsy, osteoporosis and other diseases and disorders.

The center's collaborators are UD researchers from departments and centers across the University, including Biomedical Engineering; Communication Sciences & Disorders; Kinesiology and Applied Physiology; Linguistics and Cognitive Science; Mechanical Engineering; Nursing; Physical Therapy; and Psychological & Brain Sciences. The director is Keith Schneider, professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences.

Explore UD's Center for Biomedical and Brain Imaging

DE Ctr for Neuroscience Research

Two female University of Delaware graduate student prepare samples in a research laboratory.

About

Founded in 2012, the Delaware Center for Neuroscience Research is an interdisciplinary, inter-institutional, virtual center linking Delaware State University and the University of Delaware in a joint effort to strengthen and support neuroscience research across the state.

Under the direction of Dr. Melissa A. Harrington at DSU and Dr. Anna Klintsova at UD, the Center brings together a multidisciplinary group of neuroscientists. Supported by grants from the National Institute of Health (NIH), it leverages the neuroscience community and research infrastructure in Delaware for the following objectives:

  • Propel advancement in our understanding of the brain and nervous system.
  • Provide innovative, interdisciplinary programs of doctoral-level research training and professional development.
  • Engage the next generation of researchers through undergraduate and graduate research training.

C-TECC

Four graduate students sit around a table in a meeting inside a conference room.

About

The Center for Training, Evaluation and Community Collaboration (C-TECC) is an innovative program established at the University of Delaware to advance clinical science in academic, public, and community settings. In partnership with multiple community agencies and organizations, C-TECC conducts research and evaluation, trains mental health providers in evidence-based practices, and builds capacity in mental health care systems.

One of C-TECC’s principal missions is training the next generation of mental health professionals. Post-doctoral, graduate, and undergraduate trainees learn to build productive working relationships with diverse community partners. Through collaboration with these partners, C-TECC faculty, professionals, and students work to apply scientific methods to the analysis and solution of challenges facing mental health services.

Visit UD's Center  for Training, Evaluation and Community Collaboration

Research opportunities for undergraduates

Research is an integral element of the Psychology & Brain Sciences undergraduate program. Our students have opportunities to build communication and technical skills in research labs, working alongside graduate students and faculty. They also can earn academic credit for research and complete their studies with a senior thesis.

Why consider research?

The hands-on experience allows you to apply your classroom knowledge to the real world and develop your qualifications. You will build a strong resume with concrete examples of work experience during an interview. 

It also helps you decide how to specialize within the psychology or neuroscience disciplines. If you plan to go to graduate school, it is useful, if not essential, to participate in research. 

The transferable skills you learn from working at a research lab or internship site help you in multiple careers, not just psychology. Your experience in a research lab tells a prospective employer that you work well with others in a disciplined environment and have acquired good analytical skills.

Networking connections such as supervisors can write a letter of recommendation or a reference. In fact, one of the most common ways of finding a job is through networking.

join a Psychology & Brain Sciences research lab

 

For Majors

Earn credit for research with Psychological & Brain Sciences

Next Steps

Psychology and neuroscience majors typically get credit for research as Independent Study (PSYC366). The credits can vary from one to six credits. Students and their faculty mentors agree on the number of credits based on the number of hours worked per week. Students who continue to work in a lab for a longer period of time could potentially enroll in Advanced Research (PSYC466).

Neuroscience majors also often get credit for research as NSCI368 (Research) which is a variable credit course (one to six credits) that involves a weekly seminar as well as participation in a research lab. Students who continue to work in a lab and have completed NSCI368 could potentially enroll in Advanced Research (NSCI468). 

Registration

Students CANNOT register themselves for research credit courses. Your faculty mentor or a designated lab representative must provide the registration information to the Psychological & Brain Sciences advising office to be enrolled. Make sure that you and your lab have the following information for registration purposes:

  • Your full name
  • Your UD ID
  • The research course you need
  • The number of credits

Please note that you can only enroll in these independent study or research courses if your faculty mentor is in or officially affiliated with our department.

Learn more about our Research Programs

Research Thesis

Culminate your studies with a senior thesis. 

Next Steps

​Please note that BEFORE you pursue a senior thesis or thesis research, you should have participated in a faculty member's lab for at least two semesters at the PSYC366 or NSCI368 level. These research courses help you get acquainted with working in a lab, gain basic research skills, and begin to develop your own research questions.

There are two options for completing a thesis:

  1. PSYC468 (Thesis Research) — Pursue an advanced, independent research project under faculty supervision. At least two semesters of PSYC366 is the prerequisite to enrolling in this course. In addition, you must have a written thesis proposal, that is agreed to by your faculty research mentor, prior to the start of your thesis research. Students in this course must write a formal research report of their work. Students give their final written paper to the Psychology Undergraduate Committee. 
  2. UNIV401 & UNIV402 (Senior Thesis) —Highly-motivated students can elect to conduct a senior thesis to earn a degree with distinction. In addition to designing, conducting, and writing up the research, it requires a committee and an oral defense. This process mirrors what students would experience when creating and defending a master's thesis or doctoral dissertation. Read more about this experience.  ​

Undergraduate Research Program

Undergraduate Student Poster Presentations

The Ventral Midline Thalamus Mediates Successful Deliberation By Coordinating Prefrontal and Hippocampal Neural Activity: https://capture.udel.edu/media/1_xe4kid6u/

Video Presentation — The Ventral Midline Thalamus Mediates Successful Deliberation by Coordinating Prefrontal and Hippocampal Neural Activity

2021. Stout, J.J., Hallock, H., Adiraju, S.S., Griffin, A.L. (Faculty Sponsor: Amy L. Griffin)

 

Fidelity and Effectiveness of ABC Implemented Through Telehealth: A Response to COVID-19: https://capture.udel.edu/media/1_tqfggq7v/

Video Presentation — Fidelity and Effectiveness of ABC Implemented Through Telehealth: A Response to COVID-19

2021. Kipp, E., Schein, S.S., Roben, C.K.P., & Dozier, M. (Faculty Sponsor: Mary Dozier)

Hostile attributional bias and self-esteem as mechanisms linking earlier peer victimization and later internalizing symptoms: https://capture.udel.edu/media/1_jbxk49rq/

Video Presentation — Hostile attributional bias and self-esteem as mechanisms linking earlier peer victimization and later internalizing symptoms

2020. Osicky, J. & Hubbard, J. (Faculty Sponsor: Julie Hubbard)

Preventative effects of valproic acid on outcomes associated with caregiver maltreatment: https://capture.udel.edu/media/1_msmsy71g/

Video Presentation — Preventative effects of valproic acid on outcomes associated with caregiver maltreatment

2020. Zimmerman, C., Collins, N., & Roth, T. (Faculty Sponsor: Tania Roth)

Research News
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University of Delaware male student wearing a white lab coat sits in front of a computer monitor and laboratory equipment

Explore undergraduate research at UD

Jackson Mace, a senior majoring in neuroscience, spent his summer at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, as part of in the highly competitive Amgen Scholars research program. He was one of 15 students accepted from more than 900 applicants across the United States. He attended a weekly biotechnology class on drug development and conducted research with Paul Kotzbauer, a professor of neurology and developmental biology who studies Parkinson’s disease and related disorders. Mace spent the previous summer as a Nemours Summer Undergraduate Research Program intern at A.I. duPont Hospital, where he studied cancer therapeutics.

 

Visit the Undergraduate Research Program to discover more opportunities at UD.

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