Psychological and Brain Sciences - UMASS Amherst

07/29/2026

The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center has awarded a Post-secondary Education and Training Grant that will fund the renovation of laboratory space in UMass Amherst’s Integrated Science Building (ISB) as part of an announcement of 68 awards totaling more than $12.3 million through its Education and Workforce Development Grant Program.

This proposal requests renovation of one of the laboratory classrooms to modernize the space for a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) lab for the Neuroscience major and to acquire equipment to support this course. Equipment is routinely shared amongst the six lab classrooms in ISB, so the Animal Science program, the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology program, and Neuroscience-track lab courses will be able to access the requested equipment.

“Over a thousand life science majors take laboratory courses in the six lab classrooms in ISB annually,” said Jennifer Normanly, professor and head of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology program. “This investment allows us to enhance their readiness to join the life sciences industry workforce.”

“We are truly excited for these investments, which will improve our teaching laboratory space,” said Mike Fox, dean of the College of Natural Sciences at UMass Amherst. “Hands-on, experiential learning is transformative to student success, and these renovated spaces will allow us to create and deliver more innovative experiential learning opportunities to students interested in pursuing careers in life- and health-science-related industries.”

Learn more: https://www.umass.edu/natural-sciences/news/cns-mlsc-grant-isb-renovation

UMass Amherst Biology Department Psychological and Brain Sciences - UMASS Amherst Veterinary & Animal Sciences at UMass Amherst

07/17/2026

Linda R. Tropp, professor of social psychology at UMass Amherst, authored this article about increasing social connection by engaging in psychological generosity with strangers. Instead of being merely transactional while navigating interactions with other people, learn how to be more relational.

Eyes down, headphones on — what message are you sending?

07/07/2026

Finding the right therapist can be challenging, especially when mental healthcare services are in growing demand, waitlists are long, and treatment needs vary.

Michael Constantino, a professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences - UMASS Amherst and his team developed Express Access, a web-based application that connects mental healthcare patients with therapists best matched for them. This tool aims to improve both access to care and treatment effectiveness through data-informed therapist matching.

The team received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for their proposal titled “Consumer-Therapist-Connector: Increasing Access to Quality Behavioral Healthcare.”

According to Constantino, “Good matches in psychotherapy are often left to chance, both because of access restrictions and therapists being poor judges of their own strengths and weaknesses. Data-informed matching can significantly improve both the access and outcomes problems, without disrupting the types of interventions therapists choose to use.”

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4eePlho

07/07/2026

Daniel Coppersmith is the winner of the 2026 Early Career Award from the Society for Ambulatory Assessment (SAA). His paper "Heterogeneity in su***de risk: Evidence from personalized dynamic models" published in Behaviour Research and Therapy was praised for its scientific merit, relevance, and innovation in Ambulatory Assessment methodology. Congratulations!

Coppersmith will be giving a keynote address at the SAA 2026 Conference in Vienna, Austria, this August.
https://univie.eventsair.com/saa2026/program

06/03/2026

A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that large language models struggle to accurately estimate the moral values of people outside of Western societies. Scientists found that these artificial intelligence systems tend to overestimate the moral concerns of Western nations while underestimating the values of non-Western cultures. This pattern provides evidence that relying on these models to gauge global public opinion could unintentionally reinforce cultural stereotypes.

Featuring UMass Amherst psychological researchers Mohammad Atari and Aliah Zewail.

Artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT struggle to accurately understand global values, a new study suggests. Researchers found that these systems overestimate the morality of Western nations while underestimating non-Western cultures, essentially adopting human-like cultural stereotypes.

05/19/2026

05/01/2026

A big thank you to everyone who gave to our department during UMassGives! Donations will aid student research and scholarship! Your support means a great deal to our students!

04/30/2026

Another Power Hour is coming up! Support the Next Chapter of Neuroendocrine Research at UMass! Power Hour today April 30 from 1:00 – 2:00 PM for the Center for Neuroendocrine Studies at UMass Amherst.

The organization with the most individual donations during this hour will receive a bonus prize of $2,000. Second place will get $1,000 and third through fifth place will receive $500 in bonus money!

Every single gift counts. Giving during this hour amplifies the impact of your support and helps fuel the Center’s growth.

Give Today: https://umass.scalefunder.com/gday/giving-day/111216/department/111487

For nearly three decades (27 years), the Center for Neuroendocrine Studies at UMass Amherst has supported excellence in neuroendocrine research in the Pioneer Valley, exploring how hormones, the brain, and behavior interact in health and disease. Today, the Center is entering an exciting new chapter of growth and renewal under new leadership.

By investing in the Center, you are helping expand educational and outreach efforts that inspire students, broaden participation, and strengthen pathways into STEM fields. Your generosity helps build a healthier, more informed society.

Thank you for your generosity and commitment!

04/30/2026

TODAY! HELP US WIN our POWER HOUR from 11 a.m.– 12 p.m.! The organization with the most individual donations during this hour will receive a bonus prize of $2,000. Second place will get $1,000 and third through fifth place will receive $500 in bonus money! Plus, this year the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences will match the total donations made during our Power Hour up to $2,000!

Learn More and Give Today:
https://umass.scalefunder.com/gday/giving-day/111216/department/111223

Your contributions will aid PBS students in the following ways:

• Improve undergraduate research experiences, with funds for research materials and conference presentations, including programs in our new Neuroscience major!

• Enhance graduate student scholarship, including dissemination of research and travel support for conferences.

• Organize community-building workshops and events in the department to enhance student success.

Invest in the next generation of outstanding psychological and brain scientists by giving today! Thank you!

College of Natural Sciences at UMass Amherst