J. Devin McAuley, Ph.D., Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience, Mind & Behavior

The broad aim of my research program is to advance understanding of the neural mechanisms that animals use to ‘time’ the duration of events in their surroundings and to coordinate the timing of perception with action. My general philosophy in mentoring undergraduate students working in my lab is to provide a structured and intellectually stimulating research environment that fosters and encourages scientific excellence. The training students receive in my lab involves a solid foundation in research methods and quantitative data analysis, and hands-on experience with a varied set of methodologies, including a range of behavioral paradigms, mathematical modeling, selective brain lesions in rats and biochemical assays of brain tissue. My approach to training undergraduate researchers is to initially assign students to an on-going project where they work with me and at least one graduate student mentor. As the student acquires and demonstrates competency in the research skills that they have received training for, I gradually increase the level of responsibility and talk with the student about possible directions for new research projects that seem to best match their interests. I am currently mentoring four PhD students and three undergraduate students conducting independent research projects. Also affiliated with the lab are seven additional undergraduates assisting with data collection on various projects.

mcauley@bgsu.edu
(419)372-2301
208 Psychology Building