Cognition, Perception, and Brain
Jarrod Lewis-Peacock
Cognition, Peception, and Brain Area Head
The Cognition, Perception, & Brain (CPB) area offers rigorous, interdisciplinary training in the science of the mind and brain. If you’re curious about how people think, learn, perceive, and make decisions—and how these abilities are supported by the brain—CPB might be the right fit for you. Our faculty investigate a wide range of topics, including memory, attention, learning, language, emotion, social cognition, and sensory perception. Research in CPB spans both high-level cognitive processes and the fundamental neural and computational mechanisms that support them.
Our area blends basic science with translational research. Faculty examine how cognitive and perceptual processes develop and change across the lifespan, and how they are impacted in psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, brain injury, and other clinical conditions. As a graduate student, you’ll gain hands-on experience with a wide array of research tools, including functional and structural MRI, EEG/ERP, MEG, TMS, computational modeling, eye tracking, psychophysics, behavioral testing, lesion mapping, genetics/epigenetics, and neurostimulation. Training emphasizes not only technical skill but also critical thinking and scientific rigor.
Graduate study in CPB is flexible, collaborative, and interdisciplinary, with coursework spanning psychology, neuroscience, computer science, statistics, linguistics, and communication sciences. From the start, you’ll engage in hands-on research, beginning with a first-year project developed with your faculty mentor, and have regular opportunities to present your work and receive feedback in our weekly area seminar. Whether you’re pursuing a career in academia, clinical research, or industry, CPB offers the scientific foundation, practical experience, and supportive community to help you succeed.