Graduate Students:
Dr. Brooker will not be taking new graduate students in Fall 2023. The TAMU Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences offers a Ph.D. in Psychology that is intended to fully prepare candidates for a research career. Students who are highly motivated, inquisitive, and interested in research on early socio-emotional development and developmental affective neuroscience are encouraged to apply. Experience with psychophysiological measures is not required, but preference will be given to applicants with strong academic records and demonstrated interests in developmental science, psychophysiology, or neuroscience.
Learn more about the graduate program in Psychology here.
Undergraduate Research Assistants:
The DOME Lab has opportunities for undergraduate students to assist with our research. Make sure that you read the description of our research and the requirements/qualifications listed below before you contact us.
Description of Research:
Research interests in our lab include developmental affective neuroscience, individual differences in emotional reactivity and regulation, the interplay between biological and environmental factors of development, and the effects of context on emotional behavior and physiological reactivity during the toddler and pre-kindergarten years. Undergraduate research assistants are involved in all aspects of research, including:
- preparing materials for laboratory visits with children and families
- administering standardized paradigms with research participants
- coding, scoring, and entering collected data
- gaining an understanding of multiple psychophysiological techniques
- reading empirical articles from the field of developmental science
Method of Compensation:
Participation in the DOME Laboratory has proven to be a valuable experience for those considering graduate studies in psychology or neuroscience or for students planning to apply to medical, law, nursing, or physical therapy school.
Undergraduate research assistants may apply for:
- PBSI 491 credit
- NRSC 491 credit
Students interested in a for-credit opportunity should read carefully through our requirements and qualifications before completing the online application. The syllabus for for-credit options is available here. 
Requirements/Qualifications:
In order to apply, you must currently:
- have a GPA of 3.5 or higher
- commit to at least 2 semesters of lab work
- be available to spend 6-8 hours per week involved in lab-related activities, including a required one-hour weekly lab/coding meeting
- have availability to conduct visits with families on Saturdays (visits with families are not conducted during home football games)
If you are interested in joining our team, please complete an online application. If you have any questions, contact us via e-mail at DOMELab@tamu.edu
Undergraduate Independent Studies or Honors Projects:
Opportunities are available for completing independent studies or honors projects in the lab. Please discuss this opportunity with Dr. Brooker well in advance of application or project proposal deadlines. Preference will be given to students who have already worked at least 1 semester in the DOME lab. In all cases, students are required to work in the lab during the time of their project; this work will include participation as a research assistant on the larger project(s) in addition to thesis work.
Letters of Recommendation:
I am happy to write letters of recommendation for students who have worked in my lab or whom I have gotten to know well in one of my courses. Keep in mind that a letter of recommendation will only be useful to you if it contains details that are specific to you and are best suited for the experience or program to which you are applying. Thus, I will be able to write the best letters for students whom I have come to know well. If you wish for me to write a letter for you, contact me as soon as possible to ask me if I think that I can write a strong letter for you. This should be well before the letter is due (preferably 4 weeks in advance). Send or bring me a completed Letter of Recommendation Request Form.
