Overview

The Department of Psychology partners with the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC) to provide interested students with training in cognitive neuroscience. Created in 1994, the CNBC is dedicated to the study of the neural basis of cognitive processes, including learning and memory, language and thought, perception, attention, and affect. Students interested in this option are first admitted into one of our training programs (e.g., Ph.D. in Psychology). They then apply for (and complete the requirements of) the CNBC certificate program. Acceptance is decided by the CNBC, though students in CNBC-related labs have never been denied. The certificate program allows students to complement deep training in the behavioral sciences with an advanced understanding of brain function and neuroscience methods.

Students in the CNBC certificate program complete four courses, attend CNBC sponsored colloquia and student-sponsored "brain bags," and participate in an annual retreat. They receive travel support, a personal computer of their choice, and in some cases stipend support (e.g., through appointment to the Behavioral-Brain training program designed especially for students in the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon Psychology departments).

Interested students may apply to the CNBC at the same time as they apply to a training program in our department, or at any point during their early training in our department.

Students can work with any faculty advisor in the Department of Psychology and also complete the CNBC certificate program. However, the participating faculty members have an especially strong interest in cognitive neuroscience training.