Dr. Matthew Lovett Barron

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Matt Lovett-Barron obtained his BSc from Queen’s University in Canada and completed his PhD in Neurobiology at Columbia University. Following this, he served as a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University under the mentorship of Karl Deisseroth. His research focuses on the flexibility of animal behavior and understanding how nervous systems adapt to various environmental, internal, and social contexts. He is particularly interested in neurobiology, global brain states, and how individuals make collective decisions within groups, utilizing unique animal models such as juvenile zebrafish (Danio rerio) and adult glassfish (Danionella translucida). His lab employs cellular-level optical imaging and neural dynamics manipulation to explore state-dependent behaviors in these organisms, aiming to uncover the multiple cellular changes in the brain that lead to global internal states. His work has garnered him several accolades, including the Donald B Lindsley Prize for Behavioral Neuroscience from the Society for Neuroscience for his PhD thesis, an HHMI postdoctoral fellowship, the Helen Hay Whitney Foundation fellowship, and the K99/R00 Pathway Independence award from the NIMH.

Research Interests

Requirements for University of California, San Diego

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:85
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Duolingo
Overall Score
Required:120
Overall
Required:120
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in physical, biological, or earth sciences, mathematics, or engineering. Differential and integral calculus. One year of calculus-based physics with laboratory. One year of chemistry with laboratory.
Application Checklist
  • Statement of Purpose (max 2 pages)
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Application fee ($135 domestic / $155 international)
Specialization Notes

Administered by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Curricular groups include Climate-Ocean-Atmosphere (COAP), Geosciences (GEO), and Ocean Biosciences (OBP).