q&a

Will you be accepting graduate students?

Yes, I will be accepting graduate students for Fall 2026 applicaton cycle.

Prospective students may apply to Psych & Brain Sciences, either through the Behavioral & Cognitive Neuroscience, Clinical Science, or Individualized Track. Prospective students may also apply to the Neuroscience Graduate Program. Each track and program has a different set of requirements and expectations for degree completion, though the expectations for conducting research in the lab are the same regardless of program.

Should I apply to Psych & Brain Sciences or Neuroscience grad program?

What program you choose to apply to will depend on your career goals and research interests. The PBS program admits students directly into a lab, whereas Neuroscience admits students into a program and are expected to rotate among multiple labs during their first year.

Do graduate students receive funding?

Yes. Grad students are fully funded through a combination of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships, which cover tuition and provide a stipend. There are also various T32 training fellowships through the Behavioral-Biomedical Interface Training Program, and students in the lab will be encouraged to apply for grad fellowships to gain first-hand experience with grants (e.g., NSF GRFP, NIH F31).

I am interested in post-docing in your lab. How do I apply?

We are actively recruiting postdocs to join the lab! If you feel like your research interests and training goals are well aligned with the lab, please feel free to send me an email or fill out this application form.

I am looking for lab manager or post-bacc position in your lab. How do I apply?

We are not currently looking for lab manager / post-bacc at this time.

I am an undergrad looking to join your lab. How do I apply?

We welcome enthusiatic undergraduate research assistants who are excited about our lab’s work! If you are interested joining the lab, please complete this form. Please make sure to include the following in your application:

• CV or resume
• academic transcript
• description of your past research experience, current research interests, and career goals
• description of interests in the lab (Why are you interested in our lab specifically?)
• relevant technical background (e.g., programming languages, statistical analyses)

What backgrounds are you looking for?

Generally, indviduals with a strong background in computer science and engineering (or programming generally), cognitive or affective neuroscience, cognitive science, clinical science who are naturally curious and motivated to uncover open questions about the brain in mental health are aligned with our research ethos. We take an interdisciplinary approach and care deeply about using rigorous approaches to address key mechanistic questions of interactions between affect and mental health.

What are your values with respect to lab culture and mentoring environment?

I value fostering an inclusive culture built on mutual respect for all individuals, regardless of identity, background, and any other type of visible or invisible factors (this is shaped by my service on various departmental committes as a grad student and postdoc, as well as my own personal experiences). As such, I expect all lab members to be kind to and mutually respectful to one another. All lab members are expected to take personal responsibility for their work, use their critical thinking to solve problems, proactively ask questions, operate independently, and take initative to troubleshoot issues (both technical and interpersonal) when necessary.

What is it like to live in Iowa City?

Iowa City is a lively mid-sized city and college town that often surprises people (a reward prediction error, if you will) — it’s a vibrant little city in the Midwest that has great nationally recognized restaurants and bars, coffee shops, live music venues, and is surrounded by beautiful running and biking trails as well as a neighboring lake. The University of Iowa is a Big Ten research university that gives the city a lot of its energy, and has a rich intellectual environment with cross-campus collaboration with the Carver College of Medicine and Iowa Neuroscience Institute. There’s free public transit and a bike-friendly infrastructure. Personally, I think its a fantastic mix of vibrant intellectual communty and accessibility to sports, arts, and culture year-round. But you’ll have too see for yourself.

Fun fact: Iowa City is also one of only two American cities designated as a UNESCO City of Literature, home to the world-famous Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

A few other selling points I’ll end with. Iowa City has been ranked one of the best cities to live in America, and the cost of living is lower (your stipend goes further here). I’ll borrow from other neighboring labs who are much better at advertising Iowa City, including the Bolkan Lab and Wessel Lab.