Paul Hastings, professor of psychology in the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis, has been appointed interim director of the Center for Mind and Brain, or CMB.
“As a leading researcher in developmental psychology and a distinguished academic leader, Paul Hastings is ideal to serve in this role as interim director of the Center for Mind and Brain, one of the most influential and impactful research centers in the country,” said Estella Atekwana, dean of the College of Letters and Science. “He is well-positioned to support his colleagues while building upon the very strong foundation of this vital community at UC Davis.”
CMB is a UC Davis research institute that studies how the human mind works and trains the next generation of researchers with leading-edge techniques and methods in psychology and neuroscience. CMB scientists conduct research in a wide range of areas, including language, memory, attention, emotion and cognition. The center is also a leader in translating basic science into clinical research on autism, schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder and Alzheimer's disease.
“It’s an incredibly exciting time for research in psychology and neuroscience, and the Center for Mind and Brain is at the forefront of this momentum,” said Hastings. “I’m very happy to fill this role in support of my amazing colleagues who I’ve known and worked with for a very long time.”
Hastings, a developmental psychologist, joined the Department of Psychology faculty in 2008. He has also served as department chair and interim dean of the UC Davis School of Education.
In his Healthy Emotions, Relationships and Development Laboratory (HERD Lab) at CMB, Hastings studies links between children’s and adolescents’ relationships and social experiences, their neurobiological regulation, and the development of their social-emotional well-being. He conducts much of his research internationally, in countries that include Bangladesh, Ghana, India and others. Hastings is also a faculty affiliate of the UC Davis Center for Poverty and Inequality Research and the UC Davis Institute for Global Nutrition.
Hastings is appointed interim director to succeed George “Ron” Mangun, Distinguished Professor of psychology and neurology and CMB founding director, who will be retiring at the end of this academic year. Mangun also served as dean of the former Division of Social Sciences in the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis from 2008 to 2015.
“Ron’s leadership at the Center for Mind and Brain built a world-class research community that continues to attract top talent to UC Davis,” said Atekwana. “I offer my heartfelt thanks and appreciation for all he has done as its founding director.”
CMB comprises 22 core faculty members who come from UC Davis departments that include psychology, neurology, linguistics, human ecology and neurobiology. Since its founding, CMB has trained 195 Ph.D. students and post-doctoral researchers and 2,000 undergraduate interns. Its peer-reviewed journal publications number more than 1,500.
During Hastings’s tenure as interim director, the College of Letters and Science will conduct an international search for a CMB permanent director.
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