The Feilong Lab at the University of South Carolina is recruiting PhD students for Fall 2026. Led by Assistant Professor Feilong Ma, the lab is part of the Department of Psychology and affiliated with the Institute for Mind and Brain, McCausland Center for Brain Imaging, and the Center for the Study of Aphasia Recovery. The lab specializes in computational neuroscience, neuroimaging, and the study of individual differences in brain functional organization.

Research in the lab focuses on understanding both commonalities and differences across human brains, and how these relate to cognition, language, intelligence, personality, and neurological disorders. The team develops and improves brain templates, applies hyperalignment techniques to characterize individual differences at fine spatial scales, and compares human brains with those of monkeys and artificial neural networks to explore cross-species and cross-system similarities and differences.

Main research directions include:

• Brain differences and their correlates
• Structural and functional brain templates
• Comparisons across species and systems
• Predicting individualized brain responses
• Hyperalignment and the INT model

Applicants should have a strong interest in computational neuroscience, neuroimaging, and individual differences. Preferred backgrounds include psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, computer science, or related fields. Experience with computational methods, programming, or brain imaging is advantageous. Candidates must meet University of South Carolina PhD admission requirements for the Department of Psychology.

Funding details are not specified in the post; prospective students should consult the lab or department website for specifics. The application deadline for Fall 2026 is August 1, 2026. For more information, visit the Feilong Lab website and the 'Join Us' page, or contact the lab directly.