Help Needed! Ph.D. programs...but no direction for research.

[Cog-Neuro Guy]

I am a second year master's student in cognitive neuroscience, I have spent my first year researching and doing psychometrics at another university medical school. With that being said, within my first year, I was able to get on as second author on three posters for NAN (National Academy of Neuropsychology) as well as second author on a manuscript that will be (hopefully) accepted in the Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology with another manuscript and posters currently in production. My first year as a master's student has been pretty productive, but I have no real direction in terms of what programs in non-clinical/counseling psychology I would want to apply to. Thus far, the research I have conducted has mainly been that for my mentor, on topics I have no really enthusiasm to research intensely, but do it for the experience and CV building. I want to apply to Ph.D. programs in psychology or cognitive neuroscience with an emphasis in neuropsychology-based research or social/personality cognitive neuroscience. Beyond that, I have interests in looking at the social cognition of LGBT people, especially personality schemata development of LGBT people, I also would like to study the cognitive neuroscience behind this as well. Alternatively, I would like to study psychopathology amongst LGBT people and the cognitive neuroscience of this as well. 

 

I feel a bit lost in terms of, how does one target applying to programs that may or may not have a professor who focuses on LGBT research in this capacity? Are my ideas too all over the place? If so, what is the recommended path to remedy this? At this point, I feel like I hate research many times because I am researching stuff I have no real interest in...it's nice to know, but not something I would see myself spending 5 years of my life immersing myself in. 

Edited July 26, 2014 by Cog-Neuro Guy

[PsychGirl1]

I am a second year master's student in cognitive neuroscience, I have spent my first year researching and doing psychometrics at another university medical school. With that being said, within my first year, I was able to get on as second author on three posters for NAN (National Academy of Neuropsychology) as well as second author on a manuscript that will be (hopefully) accepted in the Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology with another manuscript and posters currently in production. My first year as a master's student has been pretty productive, but I have no real direction in terms of what programs in non-clinical/counseling psychology I would want to apply to. Thus far, the research I have conducted has mainly been that for my mentor, on topics I have no really enthusiasm to research intensely, but do it for the experience and CV building. I want to apply to Ph.D. programs in psychology or cognitive neuroscience with an emphasis in neuropsychology-based research or social/personality cognitive neuroscience. Beyond that, I have interests in looking at the social cognition of LGBT people, especially personality schemata development of LGBT people, I also would like to study the cognitive neuroscience behind this as well. Alternatively, I would like to study psychopathology amongst LGBT people and the cognitive neuroscience of this as well. 

 

I feel a bit lost in terms of, how does one target applying to programs that may or may not have a professor who focuses on LGBT research in this capacity? Are my ideas too all over the place? If so, what is the recommended path to remedy this? At this point, I feel like I hate research many times because I am researching stuff I have no real interest in...it's nice to know, but not something I would see myself spending 5 years of my life immersing myself in. 

 

You can approach it three ways: first, find someone who does this type of research NOT in LGBT people, and propose applying it to that population in addition to the populations they are already studying it in. Second, find someone who does LGBT research and propose bringing in the cognitive neuroscience and social cognition aspects. Third, look up papers in this area of research and see who wrote them. Those 3 methods should get you a decent-sized list of people who you may want to work with.

[juilletmercredi]

I responded on your other thread in the public health forum and gave you some suggestions of programs to look to (UConn, UCLA, UMiami and CUNY Grad Center, all in psychology - in addition to my own PhD program).  I also forgot Penn State's PhD in Biobehavioral Health.

 

I'm in a related area - I do research on LGBT mental health, but I approach it using social psychological techniques/theories/methods instead of cognitive neuroscience.  I don't think that there is anyone right now doing what you want to do.  There are people who do the neuroscience of psychopathology, and people who study LGBT mental health, but I don't think many people do both.  I think what you want to do is go somewhere at which there are strengths in both sides, and then potentially work with two people.  (I do that now.)  UConn seems particularly ripe for that, for example; there are some leading people in LGBT mental health there, but they also have a robust BNS program with some people who do the neuroscience of psychopathology.

 

I also agree with the above suggestions that you can find someone who studies part but not all of what you study.  In this case, I think the method is more important than the content.  If you do research with fMRI or some other specialized cog neuro technique, it's essential that you go to a program at which you have access to that kind of resource and that you work with someone who 1) can train you in using and analyzing that kind of data and 2) can negotiate access, since it tends to be expensive.  But it's not necessarily essential that they do LGBT psychopathology; that might be a new line of research that you introduce them to.  Maybe your early experiments are with heterosexual populations but in the same area, and then for your dissertation you concentrate on what you want to do.  In other words, I think it'd be better for you to go to a BNS or CNS program (and work with a behavioral or cognitive or social neuroscientist) and try to branch into the social/health side than it would be for you to go the other way around.  The social/health folks, in general, are not going to be able to help you get access to a scanner - or even know what to do with that data.

[PsychGirl1]

I responded on your other thread in the public health forum and gave you some suggestions of programs to look to (UConn, UCLA, UMiami and CUNY Grad Center, all in psychology - in addition to my own PhD program).  I also forgot Penn State's PhD in Biobehavioral Health.

 

I'm in a related area - I do research on LGBT mental health, but I approach it using social psychological techniques/theories/methods instead of cognitive neuroscience.  I don't think that there is anyone right now doing what you want to do.  There are people who do the neuroscience of psychopathology, and people who study LGBT mental health, but I don't think many people do both.  I think what you want to do is go somewhere at which there are strengths in both sides, and then potentially work with two people.  (I do that now.)  UConn seems particularly ripe for that, for example; there are some leading people in LGBT mental health there, but they also have a robust BNS program with some people who do the neuroscience of psychopathology.

 

I also agree with the above suggestions that you can find someone who studies part but not all of what you study.  In this case, I think the method is more important than the content.  If you do research with fMRI or some other specialized cog neuro technique, it's essential that you go to a program at which you have access to that kind of resource and that you work with someone who 1) can train you in using and analyzing that kind of data and 2) can negotiate access, since it tends to be expensive.  But it's not necessarily essential that they do LGBT psychopathology; that might be a new line of research that you introduce them to.  Maybe your early experiments are with heterosexual populations but in the same area, and then for your dissertation you concentrate on what you want to do.  In other words, I think it'd be better for you to go to a BNS or CNS program (and work with a behavioral or cognitive or social neuroscientist) and try to branch into the social/health side than it would be for you to go the other way around.  The social/health folks, in general, are not going to be able to help you get access to a scanner - or even know what to do with that data.

 

To the last point- not always true. I've had people in my lab (as well as my previous lab) start branching out into neuroscience and now we are running several studies using various imaging techniques.As long as there are people at the institution/nearby institutions who you can collaborate with and your PI is open (and you're willing to put in a lot of effort to learn the ropes), it's definitely possible. I think because of the way people anticipate the future of NIH funding, as well as the introduction of RDoC guidelines, many clinical/health psychologists have started expanding into the world of neuroscience. Although, I agree that it might be easier on you to do it the other way around :-)

Edited July 31, 2014 by PsychGirl1