Dr. Monique Smith

Assistant Professor

Build a Statement of Purpose

Generate a tailored SOP for Dr. Monique Smith. Improve your application with a focused, well-structured draft.

Biography

Monique Smith is an Assistant Professor at the University of California, San Diego. She holds a B.A. and M.A. in Psychology from California State University San Marcos (2007, 2011) and obtained her Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience from Oregon Health & Science University in 2016. Dr. Smith conducted her postdoctoral training at Stanford University under Dr. Robert Malenka. Her research focuses on the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie social behavior, pain, and emotion, particularly exploring the neural circuitry involved in empathy, addiction, and motivation. Her laboratory employs rodent models combined with advanced neuroscience techniques, including molecular-genetic methods, optogenetics, calcium imaging, and pharmacological tools. She has received several prestigious awards, including the HHMI Leading Edge Fellowship, Early Career Researcher Award from the Society for Social Neuroscience, and the NRSA F31 NIAAA fellowship.

Research Interests

Experience

Assistant Professor

2020-01-01 — Present

University of California, San Diego • La Jolla, CA

Conducting research and teaching in the Department of Research.

Awards

#

HHMI Leading Edge Fellow

#

Early Career Researcher Award

#

NRSA F31 NIAAA Fellowship

#

Neurobiology of Disease Fellowship

#

Deans Fellowship

#

Research Grant

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).