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Interested in applying to PhD programs in cognitive neuroscience, psychology, aging, biomedical engineering, or related interdisciplinary fields? Join this session of our PhD Application Series, featuring two PhD students at the University of Southern California and Vanderbilt University who will share their research trajectories and application experiences.
Date & Time
October 5 (Saturday)
- Eastern Time (US): 10:00–11:00 AM
- Pacific Time (US): 7:00–8:00 AM
- Beijing Time: 10:00–11:00 PM
- UK Time: 3:00–4:00 PM
Speakers
Wenhui Zhao | University of Southern California — Gerontology
Wenhui received his undergraduate degree in Quantitative Psychology from Jiangxi Normal University. After graduation, he worked for three years as a research assistant at the Chinese Academy of Sciences before joining the Gerontology PhD Program at the University of Southern California in Fall 2024.
His PhD applications focused primarily on cognitive neuroscience, clinical psychology, and related fields. His research interests span multivariate statistics, machine learning, neuroimaging, genetics, aging, and Alzheimer’s disease.
In this session, Wenhui will share his experience building a research profile over time and applying to PhD programs from a less traditional academic background, with particular encouragement for students who are deeply interested in research but may feel that their current profile is not yet especially competitive.
CPY | Vanderbilt University — Biomedical Engineering
CPY completed undergraduate and master’s training in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science in Shanghai. After working in industry as an algorithm engineer, CPY transitioned back into academic research and spent approximately one year working as a research assistant at universities and research institutes.
Their research experience has included projects related to LGBTQ+ mental health, depression, psychological interventions, and neuroimaging. CPY is currently a first-year PhD student in Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt University, with an emerging interest in the geometry of prefrontal cortical representations and the neural circuits underlying them.
CPY will share perspectives on transitioning from industry back to research, navigating interdisciplinary applications, and developing a coherent research direction across engineering, computation, psychology, and neuroscience.
About the Session
The session will include experience sharing from both speakers followed by an open Q&A.
Topics will include, but are not limited to:
- Academic and research backgrounds
- School and program selection strategies
- Applying across interdisciplinary fields
- Transitioning from research assistantships or industry into PhD training
- Preparing application materials and interviews
- What matters most in a PhD application
- Strengthening an application from a less traditional or less competitive starting point
- Managing application anxiety and balancing applications with research and coursework
Join the Session
Platform: Zoom
Meeting ID: 883 7916 0468
Passcode: 843916