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.
Profiles & 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.
Research in the News
Mark Blumberg, chair of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Iowa, discusses his research into the connections among REM sleep, twitches, and dreams in The New Yorker.
PBS faculty provide psychosis intervention series to UI students, community through research project
Professors Amanda McCleery and Bengi Baran launched a program to help people in the University of Iowa community who are experiencing negative mental health symptoms.
University of Iowa researchers confirm stress link in the brain
Professor Jason Radley and his team published a paper that significantly advances our understanding of how the medial prefrontal cortex modulates a midbrain structure to determine how animals, including humans, respond to stressful situations.
Learning to decode the brain
Growing up in Puerto Rico, Héctor Sánchez Meléndez made up his mind to study the brain and go to medical school. But as a neuroscience major at the University of Iowa, he discovered a passion for research. Now, he wants to establish a lab back home.
Iowa researchers confirm brain region’s role in mind-body communication
Professor Jan Wessel and his team published a study showing how a specific region of the basal ganglia is critical for stopping a motor action before it begins. The findings could yield advances in treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
News and Announcements
Department Chair Mark Blumberg named 2023 UI Distinguished Chair
Jodie Plumert appointed Russell B. Day and Florence D. Day Chair
Professors Radley and LaLumiere awarded a five-year $2.3 million grant from NIMH
