Research

NAB students are involved in research starting in their first year and throughout their entire period of residence. Research laboratories of the NAB faculty are located on the Emory campus in the Rollins Research Building and at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center's Main Station. In addition, research on social groups of primates is conducted at the Yerkes Field Station, 30 miles from the Emory campus. Collaborative research is also performed with faculty from the other graduate programs within the Psychology Department and with other divisions of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, and Emory biomedical community. Formal research requirements include the proposal, writing and oral defense of a master's thesis and a dissertation, but most of our students participate in a variety of research projects during their tenure in the program. The Psychology Department also requires students to write and defend a comprehensive review paper, called the Qualifying Exam, to advance to doctoral candidacy.

Communication of findings is an important part of research, and preparation for post-graduate placement is also important to address during graduate study. An important component of our training is the NAB Research Seminar, held in alternate weeks. In the Research Seminar, faculty, students, and outside investigators present research, discuss central issues and controversies in their fields, and explore practical topics related to careers in science. In addition, a primary goal of the Research Seminar is to provide students a structured opportunity to practice formally presenting their work and ideas in a supportive atmosphere. A multitude of other talk and seminar series on campus provide other opportunities for students to interact with eminent researchers both from outside and within Emory. The Psychology Department's Colloquium Series brings in yearly at least six scientists who are leaders in their fields to present their work to our department and to interact with our graduate students during two-day visit, and comparable series are hosted by Yerkes, the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, and other entities. Finally, we strongly encourage students to attend and present their research at national and international meetings, and financial support is available through the Department and Grad School to defray expenses.

Please explore individual faculty and student pages for more information on specific ongoing projects, resources, and collaborations.