Department of Humanities & Social Sciences • Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
The CBN lab engages a variety of neuroimaging/clinical instruments, including multimodal MRI (e.g. BOLD activation, resting connectivity etc.), EEG, fNIRS, TMS to study the cognitive (e.g. attention, central executive processes, response inhibition, working memory, reward, decision making, learning) and affective processes (e.g., value-learning, reward and punishment processing, emotional face processing), and how their (dys)function(s) may be a factor in the consequences of and predisposition to human drug addiction as well as their ability to predict treatment response.
The focus of the CBN lab is to investigate the role of emotion and motivational influences on different cognitive functions. We also work with individuals with clinical conditions like ADHD, Autism, depression, drug abuse, etc.
The broad mission of the CBN lab is reflected in a wide variety of research areas in cognitive neuroscience, including attention, emotion, motivation, memory, time perception, cognitive load, learning, decision-making, cognitive disorders, child development, and translational research. Our key research methods include behavioural, fMRI (high-field MRI at 3T for structure-function mapping), eye-tracker, ExG (EEG, EMG..), fNIRS, TMS, and psychophysiology measures (GSR, heart rate, respiration etc.).
Pursuing an integrative neuroscience approach, the CBN lab maintains several international and national research collaborations with renowned scientists across various universities (listed below).
If you are interested in the PostDoc, Ph.D., Project, Thesis, Training, or Collaboration please send a detailed email with the attachment of: Resume, Proposed Research Question/s with a draft of the research proposal (it will be kept confidential).
Behavioural/Clinical Experiments, fMRI, EEG, fNIRS, Eye Tracker, Child Development, Meditation, Visual Awareness, Error Monitoring, Delay Aversion, Priming, (Un)conscious Processing, Task Switching, ODD, Dyslexia
Visual Perception, Memory, Attention and Cognitive/Perceptual Load, Time Perception, Mindfulness, Face Processing, Cognitive Control, Response Inhibition
Emotion, value-learning, Reward Processing, Cognition
Decision Making, Behavioural Economics
Cognitive Disorder (ADHD, Depression, Autism, LD, Cognitive Assessment)
NLP / Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Computational Modeling in Cognitive Neuroscience/Psychology
Alzheimer’s, MCI
Documents required for application:
- Detailed CV / Resume
- Statement of Objectives (why CBN Lab, requirements met, research projects planned, etc.)
- Research Proposal with potential hypothesis
- At least two references / recommendations
- Full copy of published papers – Top 2
International candidates are encouraged to apply
Eligibility: Fresh PhDs (submitted thesis) or PhDs with less than two years of experience • Below 32 years of age
Applications are invited anytime (based on a rolling advertisement: IITB Postdoctoral position information page).
Alternatively, send application via email (all documents as one PDF file: max 20MB) to rash_cogsci@yahoo.com
Foreign nationals: eligibility link
Eligibility: Master’s degree in psychology / cognitive science / relevant other • Experience in experimental psychology
Send application via email (one PDF, max 20MB) to rash_cogsci@yahoo.com
Duration of full-time internship is four to six months between January and June
Eligibility: Full-time student in second year of Master’s or third/fourth year of Bachelor’s • Among top 20% in previous year in discipline
Advertised twice every year (IITB Internship Award)
Approx. timeline: Submission ~August; Interview ~October; Joining ~December
See How to apply
Eligibility: Previous education/experience must closely align with the lab’s field of studies. Submissions with a research proposal will be given preference; must passionately commit to academic research and learning for a few months.
Send application via email (one PDF, max 20MB)
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Tohoku University, University of Newcastle, National Taiwan University, Nottingham Trent University, etc.
Please send your interest via email with a proposal aligning with the CBN Lab’s research work/interest.
- CBN lab hosted Shastri Student Research in India Fellow – Mr Piyush Pathania from the Department of Psychology, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, to conduct research at the CBN lab, IITB (Sep 2025–Oct 2025).
- CBN lab hosted Dr Jamuna Rani Appalasamy from the School of Pharmacy, Monash University, Malaysia, who received the ‘MUM Staff Mobility Grant’ (Dec 2022–Jan 2023).
- CBN lab hosted Ms Tanya Tandon from Fribourg University, Switzerland, who received a ‘Mobility Grant with South Asia and Iran 2019’ (Nov 2019).
- CBN lab hosted Ms Riya Dave from Princeton University, USA, who received a Nehru Fulbright Fellowship’ (Aug 2019–Mar 2020).
- Ms. Lijiya Chacko (PhD student) got selected for the Full Bright Fellowship 2026.
- Ms. Payal Sipani (PhD student) got selected to work on the joint project of LOTUS Program 2025 (India–Japan Circulation of Talented Youths in Science).
- Ms. Lijiya Chacko (PhD student) has received the IBRO Neuroscience Training Grant 2025 to attend COGNESTIC (Cognitive Neuroimaging Skills Training in Cambridge), 15th–26th September 2025, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, UK.
- Mr Gautham Venugopal (PhD student) has been selected (with Travel Grant) to attend the Neurobridges 2025 (a summer school in Neuroscience) focusing on Decision Making, 7th–18th Sep 2025, Cluny, France.
- Mr Rajesh. PG (PhD student) has received the best Poster award in the discipline of Scientific Social Responsibility for the work titled “Alzheimer’s may challenge memory, but the ability to see joy in a happy face stands strong” at the 37th Kerala Science Congress held from 7th to 10th February 2025 at Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Thrissur, India.
- Dr. Surabhi Lodha (PhD student) has received the best PhD thesis award 2024: “Naik and Rastogi Award for Excellence in Research” in the Department of HSS, IITB.
- Mr Rajesh. PG (PhD student) has received the best Poster award in Neurogenetics and Neuroimaging for the work titled “Graph theoretical connectivity analysis identifies Hippocampus and Supramarginal gyrus metrices as a diagnostic classifier of AD, MCI and HC” at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) Neuroscience Next 2024: India Hybrid Hub held from 22nd to 23rd April 2024 at NIMHANS, Bengaluru.
- Ms Tanya Tandon (PhD student) has received a mobility scholarship from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) to conduct research for nine months (2022) at Harvard Medical School, USA.
- Mr Rajesh. PG (PhD student) has received an ICMR SRF (2022) fellowship.
- Ms Tanya Tandon (PhD student) won the first prize in the “Science Slam” in Switzerland. A science slam is a national-level competition in a science communication format where young scientists explain their research projects in short 10-minute talks that are easy to follow. Afterwards, the audience gets to vote. Link.
Ms. Nandini Lahoti PhD Thesis Emotion, decision making, and health Department of HSS, IITB, India
Ms. Chaitanya Sunil Bharadwaj PhD Thesis Emotional Prediction Error Processing in Subjective Cognitive Decline Department of HSS, IITB, India
Ms. Yashika Lakhotia Internship (IRCC, India funded) The processing of extrinsic and intrinsic emotion Department of HSS, IITB, India
Ms. Shivangi Verma PhD Thesis Game Designing Department of HSS, IITB, India
Ms. Saundarya Prakash PhD Thesis Sleep and Emotion regulation IITB-Monash Research Academy, IITB, India
Ms. Sakshi Sharma Project staff Online self-help program for depression Department of HSS, IITB, India
Mr. Piyush Pathania International research student (Shastri SSRIF) Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Mental Health in India Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Canada
Ms. Sannihit Dahiya PhD Thesis Sleep deprivation, cognition, and emotion: Machine learning approach IITB-Monash Research Academy, IITB, India
Ms. Neeharika S Internship (IRCC, India funded) The interactive role of emotion, motivation, and cognition: Neropsychological approach Department of HSS, IITB, India
Ms. Rajashree Biswas PhD Thesis Consciousness and Cognition IITB-Monash Research Academy, IITB, India1 conference proceeding article Best Poster Award 2026, IITB-Monash
Ms. Yashpreet Kaur Project staff Extrinsic and Intrinsic Emotion Processing Department of HSS, IITB, India
Ms. Mahima Elsa Joji Project staff Extrinsic and Intrinsic Emotion Processing Department of HSS, IITB, India
Ms. Aditi Wani Internship (IRCC, India funded) The role of emotion in cognitive processes Department of HSS, IITB, India
Ms. Manmeet Kaur PhD Thesis Cognitive and Emotional Markers of ADHD Subtypes Department of HSS, IITB, India
Ms. Lijiya Chacko PhD Thesis Selective orienting for extrinsic and intrinsic emotional information: Eye-tracker investigation Department of HSS, IITB, India1 conference proceeding article Full Bright Fellowship 2026
Ms. Payal Sipani PhD Thesis Cognitive processes and Rule Breaking behaviour in children with externalizing disorder Department of HSS, IITB, IndiaIndo-Japan LOTUS Fellowship 2026
Ms. Pranjal Modi Internship (IRCC, India funded) Role of emotions in cognitive processes Department of HSS, IITB, India
Ms. Khushi Priya MA by research The role of irrelevant emotions in mind wandering Department of HSS, IITB, India
Mr. Rajesh PG PhD Thesis (Funded by DHR-ICMR, India) Neural mechanisms underlying emotion processing of Alzheimer’s Department of HSS, IITB, India
Mr. Chandan Kumar Srivastava PhD Thesis Effect of mantra meditation on cognitive control Department of HSS, IITB, India2 journal articles, and 3 conference proceeding articles
Ms. Shabista Nadeem Shaikh Internship (IRCC, India funded) Classification of Attention Disorders Department of HSS, IITB, India
Ms. Riya Dave Fulbright-Nehru Fellow (International Student) Development of gender construct in adolescent (Interdisciplinary Studies) Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, New York, USA2 journal articlesFull Bright Fellowship 2019
. 6 Project staff Development of classification system for children with ADHD Department of HSS, IITB, India3 journal articles
Ms. Surabhi Lodha PhD Thesis Effect of mindfulness meditation on cognitive control Department of HSS, IITB, Mumbai, India 7 journal articles Best PhD thesis award: “Naik and Rastogi Award for Excellence in Research”, 2024
Dr. Jay Prakash Singh Institute Postdoc Interaction between cognition and emotion Department of HSS, IITB, Mumbai, India 2 journal articles
Mr. Sunath Khadikar Internship (IRCC, India funded) Interaction between emotion and perception Department of HSS, IITB, India
Ms. Tanya Tandon PhD Thesis • SNSF, Switzerland funded A Cross-Cultural Investigation of the Interaction Between Physical Pain and Reward-Related Processes Co-supervision with University of Fribourg, Switzerland 3 journal articles Science Slam 1st Prize
Mr. Shubham Pandey PhD Thesis (Defended) • Seed Grant Role of emotion in cognitive control Department of HSS, IITB, India 5 journal articles
Ms. Rajeshwari Muthukumaran PhD Thesis (Defended) • IITB-Monash Academy The Interactive Effect of Cognition, Emotion, and Motivation on Behaviour IITB-Monash Academy, India 1 journal article
Mr. Amogh Joshi MPhil Thesis (Defended) Emotion processing in action video game player Department of HSS, IITB, India
Mr. Gaurav Bansal MPhil Seminar Paper Psychological perspective of universal basic income Department of HSS, IITB, India 1 journal article
Computational modelling of the interaction between cognition and emotion
My primary research interests lie in understanding the heuristics and strategies humans use to make decisions under uncertainty.
I completed my Dual Degree (B.Tech + MS) in Electronics & Communications Engineering from IIIT Hyderabad. I worked with Prof. Bapi Raju on understanding Human Decision-Making using Reinforcement Learning. In particular, my MS thesis focused on Decision-Making in the domain of Skill Learning. I also undertook a research internship under Prof. Nicolas Rougier at the Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bordeaux, France, where I worked on computational models of the Basal Ganglia.
- N. Chaix-Eichel, G. Venugopal, B. Thomas and N. P. Rougier, "Exploring the Role of Structure in a Time Constrained Decision Task," 2024 IEEE ICDL, Austin, TX, USA, 2024, pp. 1-6.
- G. Venugopal and B. S. Raju, "Modelling Grid Navigation Using Reinforcement Learning Linear Ballistic Accumulators," IJCNN, Gold Coast, Australia, 2023, pp. 1-8.
- ACCS9, New Delhi, India, 2022
- CAMP 2024, IISER Pune, India
- INCF Training Weeks 2021
- Neuromatch Academy 2021
- 2nd Winter School on Cognitive Modelling, IIT Mandi, 2020
- 1st CNSL Meet 2020, IIT Madras, India
Role of Dance in Cognitive and Emotional Processes
The relationship between dance, neurocognition, and psychological well-being.
Stuti Mehta holds a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology and is pursuing her PhD in Psychology, focusing on Cognition. She is a passionate researcher and dancer who explores the relationship between dance, neurocognition, and psychological well-being. She believes that research empowers deeper understanding and has the power to deepen understanding and inspire transformative practices in psychology and beyond.
- Mehta, S. (2023). Exploring the relationship between cyberchondria, intolerance of uncertainty, external health locus of control, and defensive pessimism among middle-aged adults. Journal of Psychosocial Research, 18(2), 195–204.
- Mehta, S. (2023). India's psychosurgery milestone. Psychologos Magazine.
- Mehta, S. (2021). Effects of cyberbullying on child's mental health. Cyber Insights Magazine.
- Mehta, S. (2021). The silent victim: Male sexual abuse. The Third Space by dR CLB Lab.
- Avishkar Research Convention – Presented "Impact of Phubbing on Psychological Distress among Adults"
- Anveshan Research Convention – Poster presentation: "Exploring the Predictors of Subjective Vitality among Housewives...", awarded 1st prize.
Desktop mount • Head Tracking • Experiment Builder and Analysis • API access • Digital inputs/Output • Simultaneous fMRI and Eye-tracking setup
Active electrodes • Passive electrodes • Hyper Scanning • Digital inputs • Battery operated • Real-time online processing • Closed-loop neuromodulation (Neurofeedback) • Simultaneous TMS/tDCS/fNIRS recording setup
Temperature sensor • Respiration effort sensor • Respiration airflow sensor • Oxygen saturation sensor (SpO2) • Galvanic skin response sensor (GSR)
Active electrodes • Hyper Scanning • Simultaneous fNIRS and EEG recording • Digital inputs • Battery operated • Real-time online processing • Neurofeedback
Simultaneous EEG and fNIRS recording • Digital inputs • Battery operated for field recordings
visual sensor • auditory sensor • electrical or tactile sensor
Interference/noise-free for neuroimaging experiments
Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM) • Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) • Emotion Processing Scale (EPS) • Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS 2) • Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS-3) • Conners Parent Rating Scale Revised-Long (CPRS-R-L) • Brown Executive Function / Attention Scales Comprehensive Hand Scoring Starter Kit (All Ages) • Brief Cognitive Status Exam (BCSE) • etc.
E-Prime 3.0
Bar-Ilan University, Israel
Central Institute of Psychiatry, India
Christ University, India
IIT Bombay, India
King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Thailand
Lund University, Sweden
Monash University, Australia
Monash University, Malaysia
National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan
NIMH, INSERM, University of Caen Normandie, France
Southern Illinois University Carbondale, USA
Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, India
University College London, UK
University of Delhi, India
University of Exeter Business School, UK
University of Fribourg, Switzerland
University of Geneva, Switzerland
University of Guelph, Canada
University of New South Wales, Australia
University of Zurich, Switzerland
Bangor University, UK
CBCS, University of Allahabad, India
Princeton University, USA
UniDistance Suisse, Switzerland
University of Birmingham, UK
University of California San Diego, USA
University of Southern California, USA
Yale University, USAOngoing
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