UCSB Psychological and Brain Sciences

It’s not too late to make a difference, there are still a few hours left of #UCSBGiveDay! Your support helps to continue the cutting edge research being done in the department, expanding understandings of the mind, brain, and behavior. #GauchosGiveBack ucsb.scalefunder.com/gday/giving-da…

Interested in making a difference in the PBS community and joining in on the #GiveDay celebrations? Click the link below to help our department continue their groundbreaking research on the mind and support the next generation of PBS scholars! ucsb.scalefunder.com/gday/giving-da…

The innovative research coming out of Dr. Ron Keiflin’s Lab was published in Current Biology for their advances in understanding of how the brain uses context to guide decision making! news.ucsb.edu/2024/021704/re…

Three PBS Faculty Members, Professor Shelly Gable, Professor Michael Miller, and Professor Scott Grafton, are currently giving back to UCSB by serving as senior administrators. The department is appreciative to them for their service and leadership.

Graduating Social Psychology Ph.D. Student Liz Quinn-Jensen was awarded the prestigious Presidential Postdoctoral Research Fellowship from Princeton University! She has been working with Dr. Brenda Major and with Dr. Zoe Liberman in her Child Studies Lab. liberman.psych.ucsb.edu/news/2025/liz-…

Interested in making a difference in the PBS community and joining in on the #GiveDay celebrations? Click the link below to help our department continue their groundbreaking research on the mind and support the next generation of PBS scholars! ucsb.scalefunder.com/gday/giving-da…

There are always so many awesome events happening within the department, check out some of the upcoming seminars and lectures that are being hosted! psych.ucsb.edu/news-events/up…

Our department has grown so much and has become home to so many students, graduates, and faculty! Here’s an overview of all of the amazing people that make up PBS! #GauchosGiveBack 42 faculty 82 grad students 13 new grad students 3241 under grads 750 first year 280 transfers

The PBS department has expanded their research in developmental psychology! Dr. Zoe Liberman’s Child Studies lab, Dr. Annie E. Wertz’s Lab for Infant Learning and Cognition (LILAC), and Dr. Brandon Woo’s Foundations of Learning and Knowledge (FOLK) Lab. devstudies.psych.ucsb.edu

Interested in making a difference in the PBS community and joining in on the #GiveDay celebrations? Click the link below to help our department continue their groundbreaking research on the mind and support the next generation of PBS scholars!📷 ucsb.scalefunder.com/gday/giving-da…

We are excited to announce that Dr. Laura Simone is joining our department! She is coming from UC Berkeley, where she is a Postdoctoral Fellow in their Psychology department and will join PBS and Anthropology in July 2025. psych.ucsb.edu/people/faculty… nytimes.com/2023/12/18/sci…

Assistant professor Michael Beyeler was awarded the 2024-2025 Harold J. Plous award from the College of Letters and Sciences, for his outstanding performance and contributions to UCSB. #GauchosGiveBack psych.ucsb.edu/news-events/ne…

Professor Brenda Major received two incredible honors for her career and achievements this year, being elected to the National Academy of Sciences and winning the Association for Psychological Sciences Mentor Award. news.ucsb.edu/2024/021485/br…

Assistant Professor Nils Reimer and colleagues received the Gordon Allport Intergroup Relations Prize for their journal article on the Socialization of Perceived Discrimination in Ethnic Minority Groups! psych.ucsb.edu/news-events/ne…

We had another great ENGAGE event this year on February 28, 2025, which allows students to connect with alumni and learn about the different career pathways that are available after graduation! #GauchosGiveBack

Interested in making a difference in the PBS community and joining in on the #GiveDay celebrations? Click the link below to help our department continue their groundbreaking research on the mind and support the next generation of PBS scholars! ucsb.scalefunder.com/gday/giving-da…

Thank you to those who have created and supported the Endowment for Psychological & Brain Sciences! psych.ucsb.edu/news-events/ne… To donate to this fund - use this link - and select: Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences Endowment Fund give.ucsb.edu/campaigns/5861…

Professor Dave Hamilton received the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Society of Experimental Social Psychology for his unusually important contributions to experimental social psychology. news.ucsb.edu/2024/021646/pi…

Interested in making a difference in the PBS community and joining in on the #GiveDay celebrations? Click the link below to help our department continue their groundbreaking research on the mind and support the next generation of PBS scholars! ucsb.scalefunder.com/gday/giving-da…

We are so excited to welcome Dr. Susan Persky to the PBS Alumni Council! She is currently working at the Social and Behavioral Research Branch of the Intramural Research Program at the National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH). #GauchosGiveBack