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FACULTY INTERESTED IN TAKING STUDENTS IN FALL 2026 |
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Molecular and genetic basis of Usher syndrome and oculocutaneous albinism |
How brains of people with cochlear implants process sounds and understand speech |
Understanding the nature and brain bases of anxiety-related states, traits, and disorders |
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How the cells and circuits in the retina are built during development |
The integration of multidimensional information in cortical networks, learning, and memory |
How the output of a neural circuit reflects the behaviors of the individual synapses and neurons that compose it |
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Understanding the neural substrate of certain diseases and conditions through the development lens |
Building blocks of computation in neural circuits using sensory-guided behaviors in mice as a model |
Development and plasticity of neural circuits for sensory perception |
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Developing larger theories of system-level function in the visual and other sensory systems |
Cognitive control, memory, learning, and decision making |
Analyzing syntactic operations in terms of matrix products of different sorts |
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Perceptual learning; how training-based improvements are implemented in the brain |
Processing for the peripheral visual field, visually guided decision-making in diverse behavioral contexts, and adult neural plasticity in the visual system. |
Behavior and how it changes during learning and on the underlying brain-wide neuronal networks |
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Uncovering the behavioral and neural computations involved in human social and affective decision-making **While Dr. Charpentier will review applications this cycle, she is not yet approved for recruiting a student, so her ability to make an offer will depend on funding available within the department (TAship) and externally (grants)** |
The development and neural correlates of social interaction and social cognition in typical and atypical development |
Understanding brain function and cognitive mechanisms by analyzing and modeling spatiotemporal dynamics in the brain |
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Speech representation and statistical learning |
Neural mechanisms underlying learning and decision-making, and their disturbance in addiction, aging, and schizophrenia |
Understanding the neural correlates of human cognitive function using intracranial recordings captured during epilepsy surgery and deep brain stimulation surgery |
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Brain processes underlying human motor behavior |
How children's early experiences influence their neural, cognitive, and academic |
PHILOSOPHY
The graduate advisor is a mentor for all aspects of the scientific and professional education of the student. This implies frequent, substantive interaction with the student. The student is expected, through his/her scholarship, to contribute to the mission of the advisor's laboratory, research group, and department. However, the philosophy of the NACS program is that the advisor serves the student, not vice versa.
ADVISOR REQUIREMENTS
The advisor must be a Full Member of the Graduate Faculty at the University of Maryland, College Park and a NACS faculty member. Students who want to conduct research with a NACS adjunct faculty member will have co-advisors: The adjunct faculty member acts as the research advisor and the UMD faculty member acts as academic advisor.
FINDING AN ADVISOR
Only applicants in whom faculty members have expressed interest in will be considered for admission. Applicants should contact faculty with whom they would like to work prior to submitting their applications. It is best to send a relatively short email (2-3 paragraphs) to the faculty member whose research interests fit with yours. In the email describe your research interests, background, and goals, and attach your resume. It is fine to ask if the faculty member is taking new students in the coming year (not all faculty take students every year). Initiating steps to network and build collaborative professional relationships is part of being a scientist.
Additional information about the mentor can be found in the NACS Graduate Handbook.
