Events

IBACS and PSYC BNS Co-Sponsored Talk: Dr. Dylan Gee from Yale University on 3/26

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Talk Co-hosted by IBACS & PSYC BNS: Dr. Dylan Gee

Professor in the Department of Psychology at Yale University

Date/Time: Thursday, 3/26/26 fat 4pm EST

Location: Bousfield 160

Talk Title: The Developing Brain in Context: Translating Neuroscientific Insights to Promote Youth Mental Health

Abstract: Environmental contexts can have a profound influence on brain and behavioral development. From trauma exposure to variation in the predictability of caregiving behaviors, the environments in which children and adolescents develop actively shape their neurodevelopment and mental health. Advances in developmental neuroscience have demonstrated how experiences of safety, predictability, and adversity influence the maturation of corticolimbic circuits in ways that confer risk or resilience for mental health disorders. This talk will illustrate how these insights from developmental neuroscience can inform efforts to optimize clinical interventions for anxiety and stress-related disorders in youth. Together, this work advances understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms that promote favorable mental health outcomes and guides approaches to foster recovery among youth exposed to adversity or living with mental health conditions.

Meetings: If you are interested in meeting with Dr. Gee or attending dinner, please email crystal.mills@uconn.edu.

LangFest 2026: Submissions and Registration Open

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Dear All, 

 

We are pleased to announce that the registration and submission form for attending and/or presenting research at Language Fest 2026 is now open! 

 

Language Fest is a university-wide research conference that was established in 2009 to bring together the full community of language researchers at UConn for a day of sharing results, ideas, methodologies, and fostering future interdisciplinary collaborations. With the generous support of the Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences, the 2026 installment of Language Fest will take place on Wednesday, April 15th from 3:30pm to 7:00pm.

 

This year’s festival will include a spoken program (in Konover Auditorium) followed by poster sessions and a reception (in Bousfield Psychology Atrium). We welcome talk submissions for the Graduate Student Symposium and poster submissions (which come with an option to be part of a data blitz). The deadline for all submissions is Wednesday, April 1st, 2026 at 11:59pm. 

 

For those attending but not presenting, we still ask that you complete the registration form above so we have an accurate headcount for catering.  

 

Submissions for the Poster Sessions. Poster presentations by students of all stages, research staff, and faculty are welcome! If your research explores any questions related to language, your poster would be a great fit. You are more than welcome to present work that you have recently submitted or presented at a different conference. This is a wonderful opportunity to share your work with our multidisciplinary community and to receive enthusiasm and feedback for your work! Poster presenters will have the option to give an oral preview of their poster as part of the Data Blitz in the spoken program. Limited funds are available to help those in need of financial assistance to cover the cost of poster printing. For inquiries, please reach out to us at langfest@uconn.edu. Finally, we recognize that this year’s festival will take place on the same day as the 2026 Frontiers exhibition. Please know that we have been in touch with the Frontiers organizers and both of us are happy to accommodate those interested in presenting at both events. If you intend to present at both LangFest and Frontiers, please leave us a comment at the end of the submission form, and we will schedule your presentation accordingly. 

  

For any questions about Language Fest, please email: langfest@uconn.edu and visit our website https://languagefest.uconn.edu/. 

  

We look forward to your attendance and participation!

 

UConn LangFest Organizing Committee

Briana Ashton

Kyler Jones

Lydia Palaiologou

Maria Brennan

Mikayla Robinson

Portia Washington

Zhupeng Li

Dr. Umay Suanda

IBACS Hosted Talk on 2/20: Dr. Rachel Theodore

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IBACS Hosted Talk: Dr. Rachel Theodore

Faculty in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences; Recent Program Director for the Linguistics and Dynamic Language Infrastructure – Documenting Endangered Language programs at the National Science Foundation (NSF)

Date/Time: Friday, February 20th from 3:30pm-4:45pm
 
Location: Moved to Zoom – please email crystal.mills@uconn.edu to receive the link.
 
Talk Title: Advancing the brain and cognitive sciences amidst the dynamic federal funding landscape
 
Abstract: Recent shifts in the federal funding landscape create uncertainty for brain and cognitive science researchers. This talk, which focuses on the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), situates current disruptions within a broader policy and historical context. Participants will gain knowledge that will help them succeed in this context, including how to align existing and emerging research with current NSF priorities without abandoning core scientific goals, and how to strengthen the durable components of competitive proposals, including broader impacts, which remain stable despite volatility. The goal is to provide the IBACS community with practical strategies for navigating uncertainty while continuing to advance fundamental science.

Science Stories Series Talk on 2/11: Hannah Mechtenberg, PhD Candidate

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Science Stories Series: Hannah Mechtenberg

PhD Candidate in the Perception, Action and Cognition Division of Psychological Sciences

Hosted by the IBACS Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee 

Date/Time: Wednesday, February 11th at 11:30am 
 
Location: McHugh 301
 
Official Story: Hannah Mechtenberg earned her BS in Neuroscience with a concentration in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience and a minor in Biomedical Sciences from Colorado State University in the winter of 2017. After taking a moment to catch her breath, she joined Emily Myers’ lab as a lab manager in July of 2017. She elected to stay at the University of Connecticut for her PhD after spending a few years learning the ins and outs of speech perception. She received her MS in 2022 and is now in the final stages of her dissertation. She plans to graduate with her doctorate in May of 2026. Her work, broadly construed, is concerned with how people cope with uncertainty. She uses a multi-method approach to examine how listeners confront and resolve uncertainty in spoken language with aims to develop a neurobiologically grounded model of perceptual adaptation. Beyond empirical research, she also works to reduce uncertainty about science in the general public. Upon her arrival at UConn, she started The Spoken Word magazine to make research in the fields of aphasia and speech perception more accessible to non-expert communities. She has also completed an internship with the Psychonomic Society’s press office, been a senior team lead with the NSF-funded Language Science Station since 2022, and most recently accepted a part-time role as an outreach and communications specialist with an app that makes archives more accessible for researchers all over the United States.
 
Unofficial Story: Hannah grew up in Colorado and always planned to be some sort of scientist. Well, there were brief moments when she wanted to be an Olympic swimmer or an architect or a philosopher or a novelist, but she eventually settled on scientist because she had an insatiable desire to know more about the natural world. From an early age, you could find her sprawled in the grass observing the hunting habits of wolf spiders or cataloguing how many crawfish currently lived in the stream across the street. Her grandmother, who lived in Chicago, would frequently mail her owl pellets to dissect or strange mushrooms to identify. There was always more to observe and to learn about—from seashells to birds to the stars—it was endless. It wasn’t until she took an anatomy class in high school did she know what type of scientist she was going to be. After spending a class dissecting sheep brains, her teacher noticed a spark and lead her back to a storeroom with a preserved human brain floating in a glass jar. And that was all it took. Her journey from then-on was fueled by that singular moment of wonder, though the path was not always smooth or straightforward. This talk will reflect on the interwoven influence of curiosity, wonder, and doubt and how they’ve shaped Hannah’s journey. From stargazing in the Utah desert to nearing the culmination of her PhD at UConn, she will use snapshots from her life to explore how we find meaning and purpose in science and beyond.
 
About the Science Stories Series: Inspired by the “Sense of Wonder” event a few years ago organized by graduate student Hannah Mechtenberg and others – the goal of the “Science Stories” is to get to know the members of our community. These stories may be about life before UConn, how you got here, the ups and downs; successes and failures; lightbulb moments or moments of regret. This talk series is an opportunity for members of our community to share their journeys in and around science—to learn about each other’s lived experiences/identities, obstacles/challenges faced, and the varied paths we each take.  We welcome nominations from all members of the IBACS community and particularly welcome nominations by/for international community members, first-generation faculty/students, and individuals from underrepresented identities in the sciences. Submit a nomination or self-nominate for a future talk or event. 

IBACS Sponsored Talk: Dr. Matthew Sacchet on 2/2

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Talk Sponsored by The Institute for the Brain & Cognitive Sciences (IBACS): Dr. Matthew Sacchet from Harvard Medical School and Mass General

Date/Time: February 2, 2026, at 12:20pm (during TalkShop)

Location: SHH 101

Bio: Dr. Matthew D. Sacchet, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Meditation Research Program at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General). Dr. Sacchet and his team study advanced meditation: states, stages, and endpoints of meditative development and mastery. He has authored more than 150 publications that have been cited more than 10,000 times, and his work has been presented more than 170 times at international, national, regional and local venues including at Cambridge, Harvard, Oxford, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale Universities, and the United Nations. His research has appeared in leading scientific journals in the mind and brain sciences and psychiatry, including American Journal of Psychiatry, Biological Psychiatry, Cerebral Cortex, JAMA Psychiatry, Journal of Neuroscience, Molecular Psychiatry, Nature Mental Health, Neuropsychopharmacology, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and World Psychiatry. He has received generous support from numerous foundations and repeat awards from federal funding bodies in the United States, including the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. His work has appeared in many major media outlets where it has been viewed many millions of times, including in 10% Happier, CBC, CBS, Forbes, Men’s/Women’s Health, NBC, New Scientist, NPR, Scientific American, TIME, Vox, and Wall Street Journal, and Forbes named him one of its “30 Under 30.” Dr. Sacchet is an Associate Editor of the leading meditation academic journal Mindfulness, and a Research Fellow of the Mind & Life Institute. He has been nominated for mentorship awards five times in the last five years.

Talk Abstract: Mindfulness has gained considerable momentum globally as an intervention for improving health and wellbeing. Beyond mindfulness, advanced meditation includes states, stages, and endpoints that result from mastery of meditation. Matthew D. Sacchet Ph.D. (Harvard/Mass General) will provide an overview of current directions in advanced meditation research that characterize the third wave of meditation research. The study and practice of advanced meditation promise incredible new opportunities for elevating human potential in diverse clinical and non-clinical contexts. See the Meditation Research Program’s website for more information: https://meditation.mgh.harvard.edu/

IBACS Undergraduate Research Event

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The IBACS Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee is excited to invite you to participate in our upcoming Undergraduate Research Event on Monday September 22nd from 11am – 12:30pm in SU 304 & 310. This event is designed for students interested in research opportunities within the brain and cognitive sciences. Anyone from your lab is welcome to join—PIs, post-docs, grad students, lab managers, Ras, and especially undergrads (past or current).

Why Participate?

For Your Lab:

  • Connect early with students specifically interested in brain and cognitive science fields (as opposed to an event like research connections, which is university-wide).
  • Recruit new lab members through independent study, student labor, or work-study.
  • Find participants for ongoing studies.
  • Share information about courses you teach that align with student interests.

For Students:

  • Learn why research experience matters and how to get involved (and get compensated!).
  • Meet labs face-to-face and makes research/talking with faculty less intimidating than cold emails
  • Gain confidence and discover how research builds valuable, transferable skills.

What We’ll Provide:

  • Two 30-minute presentations with Q&A offered at 11:15am and 12pm, highlighting undergraduate research options at UConn.
  • A 6ft table, nametags, and a printed sign for your lab.
  • A sign-in sheet at our info booth with details about participating labs.

Want to Make Your Table Stand Out?

Optional, but here are some ideas:

  • Email sign-up sheets or QR codes (we’ll have templates ready).
  • Flyers, posters, or handouts.
  • Interactive demos (e.g., EEG caps). Let us know if you need an outlet.
  • Freebies or promo items your lab already has.
  • A tablecloth if your lab has one.

If your lab is interested, please fill out this quick form: https://forms.office.com/r/z5bsTxuzhc

Please feel free to share with your students! No need for them to sign-up. We hope to see you there and help students take their first steps into research!

IBACS End-of-Year Event 5/7/25

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Registration is now closed for the 2025 Institute for the Brain & Cognitive Sciences (IBACS) End-Of-Year Event on Wednesday, May 7th from 9am-1:30pm. This celebration of the 10th anniversary of IBACS will be in-person in the Rome Ballroom on the Storrs Campus. Affiliated faculty and graduate students will give 5-minute talks on their IBACS-funded research. 

Schedule:

9:00AM – Welcome & Opening Remarks from UConn Leadership 
IBACS Directors
Inge-Marie Eigsti, Director of Research
Emily Myers, Director of Training
John Salamone, Director of Outreach and Communications
UConn Administrators
Anne D’Alleva, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Pamir Alpay, Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship
Ofer Harel, Dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
9:30AM – Data Blitz (5-minute talks) 
Natale Sciolino, Physiology and Neurobiology
Matthew Frost, UCH Neuroscience
Heather Read, Psychological Sciences (BNS)
Whit Tabor, Psychological Sciences (PAC)
Yulia Bereshpolova, Psychological Sciences (BNS)
Pengyu Zong, UCH Calhoun Cardiology Center
Jun Yan, Statistics
Hannah Mechtenberg, Psychological Sciences (PAC)
Kelly Mahaffy, Psychological Sciences (DEV)
Wesley Leong, Psychological Sciences (PAC)
10:30AM – Keynote Talks (30-minute talks)
James Li, Genetics and Genome Sciences
James Magnuson, Psychological Sciences (PAC)
11:30PM – Closing Remarks 
11:45PM  – Poster Session & Lunch
   1:30PM – End Time

 

 

LangFest 2025 – Save the Date!

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We are excited to announce that Language Fest 2025 will be held on the late afternoon and early evening of Wednesday, April 16th in Konover Auditorium (spoken program) and Bousfield Psychology Building Atrium (poster sessions).   

Language Fest is a university-wide research conference that welcomes the full cross-disciplinary community of language researchers at UConn for a day of sharing results, ideas, methodologies, and fostering future interdisciplinary collaborations. Researchers from all disciplines of the language sciences and at all career stages are welcome and encouraged to submit their work. The event is made possible with the support of the Institute for Brain and Cognitive Sciences (IBACS). 

This year’s program will feature a graduate student symposium showcasing the diversity of methodologies used to study language, a data blitz session, an undergraduate commencement speaker, and poster sessions. Further details about submission and registration forms will be provided soon.

For any questions about Language Fest, please e-mail: langfest@uconn.edu and visit our website https://languagefest.uconn.edu/.

We look forward to your attendance and participation! 

UConn LangFest Organizing Committee

Emma Wing

Jiabao Fan

Kaya LeGrand

Menghan Yang

Portia Washington

Briana Ashton

Mikayla Robinson

Melanie Stroud

Dr. Umay Suanda

COGS/ECOM Talk on 4/19: Dr. Psyche Loui

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COGS and ECOM are excited to announce a joint talk on 4/19 by Dr. Psyche Loui from Northeastern University. Psyche Loui, PhD, is a psychology and neuroscience researcher, a musician, Associate Professor of Creativity and Creative Practice at Northeastern University, and Director of the Music, Imaging, and Neural Dynamics Laboratory (MIND Lab).

Date/Time: Friday, 4/19/24 from 4:00pm – 5:30pm Eastern Standard Time

In-Person Location: McHugh Hall 305 

Zoom Option: https://uconn-edu.zoom.us/j/97306159796?pwd=ZHI1NTh1R1dPZTdYNS95U3hnN2QyZz09

Meeting ID: 973 0615 9796    Passcode: 391851

Talk Title: The Sciences of New Musical Systems, and Their Implications for Brain Health

Abstract: Music is one of life’s greatest pleasures. While abundant evidence points to the role of predictability (i.e. the knowledge of what comes next) in the experience of pleasure, little is known about how predictable musical features (e.g. melody, harmony, rhythm) come to be rewarding. I will present new work in my lab on behavioral and neuroimaging studies of the relationship between musical predictions and their reward value. Our behavioral studies test whether and how it is possible to acquire reward value solely from newly-formed predictions, by exposing participants to novel, acoustically-controlled musical stimuli with different statistical properties without extrinsic paired rewards. Our neuroimaging studies capitalize on activity of the dopaminergic reward system, and its connectivity to the auditory system, to test for individual differences in reward sensitivity from music. Results show that this reward sensitivity is robust but malleable (i.e. both a state and a trait), and lies at the heart of both active and receptive music-based interventions for a wide range of neurodegenerative disorders.

Meetings: If you are interested in meeting with Dr. Loui during the day or attending dinner in the evening, please email crystal.mills@uconn.edu. 

BIRC & IBACS Speaker Series: Dr. Andrew Jahn on 12/7

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Dear IBACS & BIRC Communities,

 
We are excited to announce a new talk series sponsored by BIRC and IBACS. Our first speaker will be Dr. Andrew Jahn at the Univeristy of Michigan. Andrew Jahn, PhD is a neuroimaging consultant at the University of Michigan’s UMOR Functional MRI Laboratory in the Radiology Department. Dr. Jahn teaches neuroimaging analysis, functional and structural connectivity, machine learning, and other topics related to cognitive neuroscience. He has hosted neuroimaging workshops at several research institutions across the United States, including the University of Washington, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Harvard University, and others. His research focuses on the role of prediction within the medial prefrontal cortex, and how this applies to domains such as pain, cognitive control, and linguistic processing. He will give his virtual talk, Trends in Best Practices for fMRI Research on Thursday, December 7 via Zoom at 2:30pm ET. The attached flyer includes full details, including the abstract.  
 
Registration is required to attend this seminar. Please register here. We ask that you please use your university/institution email address so we can track attendance. Once you are registered, you will receive an email from Zoom with the meeting information.
 
If you have any questions, please email ibacs@uconn.edu.