Center for Mind and Brain | lettersandsciencemag

The Center for Mind and Brain

Understanding the mind is arguably the single greatest challenge in science, because that quest requires the human mind to understand itself. Scientists at the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain are pursuing the most fundamental questions about how the human mind perceives, thinks, feels and acts, and how the mind arises from the biology of the brain. Solving these mysteries can lead to new treatments for psychiatric and neurological disorders and help people from all walks of live throughout the world achieve the enormous potential of the human mind.

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Paul Hastings Appointed Interim Director of the Center for Mind and Brain

by College of Letters and Science
March 09, 2026

News & Noteworthy

UC Davis psychologist Paul Hastings has been appointed interim director of the Center for Mind and Brain, 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.

Three graduates in academic regalia pose together on a green lawn under a clear blue sky.

Psychologist Tamara Swaab Elected to the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities

by Alex Russell
March 02, 2026

News & Noteworthy

Tamara Swaab, professor of psychology at UC Davis, has been elected as a foreign member of the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities, or KHMW, one of the highest honors bestowed on scholars in the Netherlands.

A young person with tousled hair leans against a textured wall, looking contemplative.

Adolescent Social Health May Foretell Loneliness, Aggressive Behavior, Study Suggests

by Alex Russell
February 23, 2026

Self & Society

Teens who are lonely and those who experience conflict in their home life are more likely to act aggressively toward peers or become victims themselves. These are some of the findings from new research in psychology that creates a detailed picture of children’s social lives by identifying patterns and predictors of adolescent social health.

crepe myrtle trees in bloom and a concrete tower in the background

UC Davis Dean and Professor of Psychology to Join Faculty at University of Birmingham in the U.K.

by Alex Russell
February 17, 2026

News & Noteworthy

George “Ron” Mangun and Tamara Swaab are joining the University of Birmingham in the U.K. on the faculty of the School of Psychology and the Centre for Human Brain Health after careers spent making UC Davis a global leader in the fields of psychology and neuroscience.

a toddler reading from a picture book on a couch.

Early Environments May Shape Executive Function and Self-Control Over a Lifetime

by Alex Russell
January 13, 2026

Self & Society

A new review paper from the Center for Mind and Brain suggests that a person’s environment in early childhood has much more to do with how they engage executive function — like exerting self-control — throughout their lives than innate ability.

Estella Atekwana Strengthens Kenya Research Ties with UC Davis and California Delegation

by College of Letters and Science
November 14, 2025

News & Noteworthy

Global research collaborations on climate change, transportation, health and poverty were the focus of a UC Davis and the State of California delegation to Kenya that included Estella Atekwana, dean of the College of Letters and Science. The University of Nairobi hosted Atekwana as part of an 11-member delegation led by UC Davis Chancellor Gary May on November 10.

school children in India lined up sitting on the ground in a courtyard

Affirmative Action in India Improved Infant Mortality and Mothers' Vaccination Rates

by Alex Russell
October 14, 2025

Self & Society

New research from the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain found that increasing representation from historically disadvantaged groups in local governments in India improved infant mortality, mother’s pre-natal doctor’s visits and tetanus vaccinations.

UC Davis Researchers Look at How the Brain Prioritizes What We See

by Alex Russell
September 23, 2025

Self & Society

UC Davis researchers combined electroencephalogram, or EEG, data with eye tracking and machine learning to study “anticipatory attention,” which is attention that enables a person to prepare to perceive upcoming sensory events. They employed this method to learn how our brain processes incoming information.

A woman wearing a dark shirt sits in an amber-lit room while another person uses a laptop in the background.

The Color Lab Uncovers the Soothing Effects of Light

by Greg Watry
July 28, 2025

An interdisciplinary research collaboration between the California Lighting Technology Center, or CLTC, and the Center for Mind and Brain, or CMB, The Color Lab is part of an effort to implement human-centric lighting designs to optimize well-being.

Toddlers’ Eye Movements Predict Ability to Judge Memories, New Research Suggests

by Alex Russell
June 11, 2025

Self & Society

New research from the University of California, Davis, has found that toddlers who tend to look more closely at and compare paired images during a memory task are more aware of the accuracy of their own memories a year later. This finding connects the earliest process of seeking information with the developing ability to judge the accuracy of memories.

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