We constantly juggle multiple streams of information, blocking out what’s irrelevant or combining related pieces of data. How well our brains perform these mental gymnastics called “cognitive control,” varies from moment to moment. The stakes vary, too – from getting distracted while studying to making disastrous errors in air traffic control. Cognitive sciences graduate student Mahbod Mehrvarz came to UC Irvine’s School of Social Sciences from Toronto, Canada, with the goal of developing new methods to measure the dimensions of cognitive control.

“What excites me is the challenge of solving problems that have been intractable and being able to help push the field forward,” says Mehrvarz.

His research may lead to new ways to detect when an individual’s cognitive performance is flagging, with obvious applications for fighter pilots and air traffic controllers. But Mehrvarz aims to take the work a step further, using the findings to develop new statistical methods for social scientists.

That line of research is driven by the reliability crisis hanging over the field of psychology. As Mehrvarz explains, measuring a person’s weight on a scale ensures accuracy. But quantifying someone’s anxiety requires indirect measures like questionnaires, which are inherently imprecise and unreliable. So Mehrvarz and his advisor aim to use their cognitive control research to also develop statistical models that compensate for this unwanted variability, improving overall accuracy in psychometrics.

“This reliability crisis has been bogging down psychology the past 10 years,” says Mehrvarz. “Through an integrative approach, I aim not only to deepen our understanding of cognitive performance, but also establish innovative methodologies that can be employed in studies of cognition and perception.”

It’s no easy task. But his advisor, Jeffrey Rouder, cognitive sciences professor and Jean-Claude Falmagne Endowed Chair of Mathematical Psychology, says Mehrvarz is not one to shy away from a challenge: “One of the things that makes Mahbod a really successful graduate student is that he wants to fully understand and own concepts and the relationship between concepts. He’s not afraid to take it home, think about it and struggle with it. He has grit.”

Journey to cognitive sciences

Mehrvarz’s road to cognitive sciences was far from direct. He came to Canada from Iran when he was a child, and his parents – a math teacher and an engineer – urged him to pursue engineering. “Like most immigrant families, they don’t have the luxury of thinking about choosing a career because you enjoy it,” he says.

As a compromise, he studied finance and economics at Toronto Metropolitan University until he became enamored with philosophy – specifically epistemology, grappling with big questions about the creation of knowledge and how we learn. Then, he stumbled onto an introductory cognitive science class, which employed statistics and scientific methods to explore some of the same philosophical questions. He knew he had found his field.

Mehrvarz went on to earn his master’s in cognitive and decision sciences at University College London, where he worked as a research assistant on a study collecting psychometric data to help improve people’s study habits. Eager to turn his education into a marketable career, Mehrvarz joined Meta Reality Labs, part of Facebook’s parent company, as a research collaborator. But he soon realized that the level of research he really wanted to pursue would need a doctorate.

UC Irvine’s cognitive sciences department drew Mehrvarz’s interest because it’s home to renowned researchers in the field of mathematical psychology, including Rouder and Michael Lee, professor of cognitive sciences. Conversations with the faculty throughout the application and decision process helped Mehrvarz feel comfortable moving across the continent to pursue his doctorate. According to Rouder, part of what makes UC Irvine’s cognitive science department ideal for graduate researchers is its special blending of old and new.

“At the core, the work of the faculty here is largely experimental in nature, using old-school scientific methods. It’s an inventive, value-added endeavor,” Rouder says. “But we use the latest tools in data science, neuroscience, machine learning and AI, so the skills transfer to the 21st century seamlessly in applications like robotics, machine learning and brain imaging.”

The department offers students the opportunity to earn a master’s in statistics on their way to their doctorate, as well as a concentration in cognitive neuroscience. Alumni have gone on to careers at major tech companies like Apple and Google, military branches including Navy Research Labs and Army Research Labs, and universities including Harvard and Johns Hopkins.

Navigating grad school

As Mehrvarz begins his third year in the cognitive sciences graduate program, he offers advice to others embarking on similar journeys. First, he says to ask where your research funding will come from. UC Irvine’s Department of Cognitive Sciences guarantees five years of funding for doctoral students, and has a proven track record of earning competitive research funding from national agencies including the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health.

He also recommends applicants talk to faculty as well as current and former lab members. “Research interests change, so finding people who you could get along with in a work setting matters most,” he says.

Mehrvarz finds Rouder’s serious devotion to his work, and the department’s strength in statistical methods, to be an ideal fit. He also enjoys mentoring two undergraduate research assistants, including one who aspires to pursue a doctorate in cognitive sciences and another who wants to become an ophthalmologist.

While Mehrvarz has not decided yet if he will use his Ph.D. to pursue a lucrative career in the tech industry or stay in academia, he’s already thinking about long-term research goals, and making a lasting impact on the field. He says he would like to help move AI and machine learning from predicting –  which it does well – to interpreting or explaining the data. That would mean not just using data to predict that someone is going to develop a disease, but to uncover underlying indicators of the disease, leading to more targeted interventions.

“I hope to do more applied research that impacts people, helping them make better decisions or overcoming cognitive biases,” Mehrvarz says. “It may be cliché, but I want to make the world a better place.”

-Christine Byrd for UCI Social Sciences