Why Iowa?
Iowa has been at the forefront of psychological research and training for a century, and we still lead today. Our students learn about the field in the classroom and laboratory, and out in the community, developing skills that help them stand out among their peers.
DeLTA* Center
*Development and Learning from Theory to Application
Profiles and research
The department's commitment to research excellence is matched by a commitment to providing outstanding research and professional training for undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs.
Ece Demir-Lira investigates why some children thrive and others fall behind
Ece Demir-Lira studies how children’s brains, environments, and relationships shape learning, with the goal of better understanding why children follow different developmental and academic paths.
Big questions, complex brains: how one psychological and brain sciences faculty member seeks to understand what makes us human
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences Professor Jan Wessel has always been fascinated by the brain and how humans think. Now, he conducts his research in a collaborative approach unlike any other.
PBS researchers receive NSF funding to understand how speech perception relates to reading and language skills
Bob McMurray, professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences receives funding to further understand how children and adults hear and distinguish speech sounds.
PBS assistant professor awarded $3 million NIH grant to study the psychology and neuroscience behind social behavior
Dorit Kliemann, assistant professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, was awarded a multimillion dollar grant by the National Institutes of Health for her research on social cognition.
Exploring a novel approach for treating Parkinson's disease
Cheol Soh is driven to improve the lives of people living with Parkinson’s disease. As a postdoctoral researcher, Soh’s research focuses on the brain regions related to movement stopping.
Paras Bassuk named UI’s 23rd Rhodes Scholar
The University of Iowa is uniquely known for being a place where art meets science, where students are encouraged to explore and innovate across these disciplines. Paras Bassuk, UI’s newest Rhodes Scholar, personifies exactly what that means — and more.
News and announcements
The Evolutionary Arc From Pigeon Brains to Machine Consciousness
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
A conversation with comparative cognition researcher Edward Wasserman about learning and the “edge of chaos”
The evolutionary arc from pigeon brains to machine consciousness
Monday, November 9, 2026
Comparative cognition researcher Edward Wasserman is featured in science magazine Nautilus about learning and the “edge of chaos”.
“Yes, and—”: Dan Junis brings the principles of improv to CLAS and beyond
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
What began as a way to overcome his fear of public speaking now shapes how Dan Junis collaborates with colleagues, supports students, and helps people with obsessive-compulsive disorder practice navigating uncertainty.
