DIBS Administration

Michael Platt, Ph.D., Director

platt@neuro.duke.edu | Phone: (919) 668-2512

Dr. Platt is director of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, as well as director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and professor of neurobiology, evolutionary anthropology, and psychology & neuroscience at Duke University. He is also a co-convener of the Duke Neurohumanities Research Group. His research focuses on understanding how the brain makes decisions in uncertain and socially complex environments. Dr. Platt uses a broad array of techniques, including single neuron recordings, microstimulation, neuropharmacology, eye tracking, brain imaging, and genomics to advance his research. His research is motivated by ethology, evolutionary biology, and economics, with a focus on how specific features of the physical and social environment have shaped the biological mechanisms that mediate behavior. He received his B.A from Yale and his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, both in biological anthropology. He then did a post-doctoral fellowship in neuroscience at New York University. His work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Klingenstein Foundation, the Sloan Foundation, the McDonnell Foundation, the EJLB Foundation, Autism Speaks and the Department of Defense. Dr. Platt is an editor of major textbooks in neuroscience and cognitive neuroscience. He is also a past president of the Society for Neuroeconomics. His research has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek and National Geographic, as well as on Good Morning America, NPR, CBC, BBC and MTV.

Elizabeth (Zab) Johnson, Ph.D., Associate Director

johnson@neuro.duke.edu | Phone: (919) 613-5020

Dr. Johnson is the associate director of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and an assistant research professor of neurobiology at the Duke University School of Medicine. She received her undergraduate degree from Mount Holyoke College, where she studied psychobiology and music. She earned her Ph.D. at the Center for Neural Science at New York University under the guidance of Robert Shapley, and she completed her postdoctoral training with David Fitzpatrick in the Department of Neurobiology at Duke University Medical Center. Her research interests are in color vision, specifically how the perception of color is mediated by circuits within visual cortex. During her postdoctoral training from 2004-2008, she served as the president of the Duke University Postdoctoral Association, where she played a key role in instituting the first formal policies regarding postdocs at Duke. She also helped establish the Office of Postdoctoral Services, which opened in 2006. Dr. Johnson joined the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences in 2008.

Leonard E. White, Ph.D., Director of Education

len.white@duke.edu | Phone: (919) 613-5028

Dr. White has a faculty appointment in the Department of Community and Family Medicine, Physical Therapy Division and the Department of Neurobiology, and he is a senior fellow in the Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development. Dr. White received his Ph.D. in neural biology in 1992 from Washington University where he studied the functional anatomy of neural circuitry in the ‘limbic’ forebrain. He then came to Duke and received postdoctoral training in the Department of Neurobiology where he studied lateral asymmetry in the human sensorimotor system and the organization of neural circuits in the visual cortex for pattern and motion discrimination. Since joining the faculty, he has developed and delivered courses in foundational neuroscience, including basic neurophysiology, human neuroanatomy, and the organization and function of neural systems. He is co-author of a digital atlas of the human central nervous system and an author and editor of a leading textbook of neuroscience. Dr. White's research interests encompass the development of functional neural circuits in the cerebral cortex and the impact of sensory experience and neurological disease on brain structure and function. He joined the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences in 2008 to facilitate the development and implementation of the educational mission.

Craig Dane Roberts, Ph.D., Assistant Director of Education

craig.roberts@duke.edu | Phone: (919) 613-5027

Dr. Roberts also serves as assistant professor of the practice in the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences. He received his undergraduate degree from Wofford College, where he studied biology. At the University of Miami he earned his Ph.D. in Neuroscience where he studied taste signaling with Stephen Roper and Nirupa Chaudhari. He then came to Duke to receive post doctoral training in the Neurobiology Department where he studied the neural mechanisms of feeding behavior. During his postdoctoral training Dr. Roberts taught at both Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill and helped develop a symposium on new directions in teaching and learning. His current research involves developing novel teaching strategies, including the use of collaborative and immersive learning environments. Craig joined DIBS as a visiting lecturer in 2010 and became the assistant director of education in 2011.

Victor Gordon, Assistant Director of Administration

victor.gordon@duke.edu | Phone: (919) 613-5012

Victor Gordon is the assistant director of administration for the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences (DIBS). He operates as the business manager for DIBS and oversees day-to-day financial responsibilities, sponsored research activity, personnel management and facilities associated with the Institute and its constituent centers. Victor received his B.A. in U.S. history from UNC-Chapel Hill and a M.A. from Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art and Planning. He has experience assisting museums, local governments and non-profit institutions with various aspects of program administration including fundraising, marketing and developing educational programs. Before coming to DIBS, Victor served as the grants and contracts specialist for Duke University’s Department of Neurobiology for more than four years. He lives in Durham with his wife and two children.

Diane Masters, Lead Grants Administrator

diane.masters@duke.edu | Phone: (919) 681-9554

Diane Masters is the lead grants administrator for the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences (DIBS) and its constituent centers. She administers the grant portfolios of DIBS, the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and the Duke Center for Interdisciplinary Decision Sciences faculty, postdocs and graduate students. She helps to identify funding opportunities, prepare competitive proposals and manage awards. Diane received her B.A. in fine arts at U.T. Austin and attended the University of Wisconsin for graduate studies in anthropology and museum studies. She had a circuitous path to university research administration, including careers as administrator of a busy academic research center at Cornell, writer for a museum education department in Wisconsin, and as an archaeologist and projects manager, doing fieldwork, drafting, conducting historical preservation research, contracting and financial management of both for- and not-for-profit cultural resource management firms in Virginia and Vermont. Diane lives in Durham with her husband and daughter.

Angela (Angie) Williams, Grants and Contracts Specialist

angela.williams@duke.edu | Phone: (919) 681-9713

Angie Williams serves as the post-award grants and contracts specialist for the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences (DIBS) and the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience grant portfolios. Her role at DIBS includes managing sponsored projects to financially analyze effort, expenditures and cost distributions of personnel. Angie began her post-award career in 2005 at Duke University's Office of Sponsored Programs. She holds an Associate's degree in business administration and last attended North Carolina Central University in Durham, N.C.

Julie Rhodes, Communications Director

julie.rhodes@duke.edu | Phone: (919) 613-5014

Julie Rhodes serves as communications director for the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and its constituent groups, including the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience (CCN), Duke Center for Interdisciplinary Decision Science (D-CIDES), Duke's Undergraduate Studies in Neuroscience, and the Graduate Cognitive Neuroscience Admitting Program. Her work for the Institute includes managing overall branding, overseeing web and print collateral, and serving as media liaison and development associate. Julie holds a B.S. in sociology and a Master of industrial design. She formerly served as development and communications associate for the North Carolina Science Festival.

Cindy Sherwood, Program Coordinator

cindy.sherwood@duke.edu | Phone: (919) 684-9671

Cindy Sherwood has been with the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences since 2009 and was hired just prior to the launch of the new interdisciplinary undergraduate neuroscience major. As Program Coordinator in DIBS Education, Cindy manages many aspects of the major such as course management, student, advising, and other initiatives such as Neurohumanities in Paris, and the Bass Connections 'Brain & Society' theme. Cindy brings with her 16 years of experience in higher education from Colgate University in NY, five years active duty in the USN, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from State University of New York, Binghamton. Cindy says her “claim to fame and very proud moment was receiving The Presidential Award from President Brodhead in 2012.”

Tanya Schreiber, Program Coordinator

tanya.schreiber@duke.edu | Phone: (919) 684-3422

Tanya Schreiber serves as program coordinator and assistant to the director of graduate studies for the Cognitive Neuroscience Admitting Program (CNAP). For CNAP, Tanya coordinates the admissions process, manages policy and financial issues and serves as a liaison between the graduate school and current students. She also assists the course directors of Cognitive Neuroscience I and II as well as the Brain and Behavior class for the School of Medicine. She has had a circuitous route to university administration and has taught English in Japan, managed an English language school, worked as program coordinator for a busy university research center, and co-managed a ceramic arts center. Tanya received her B.M. and M.M. in violin performance from Rice University and maintains a busy performance schedule freelancing in the Triangle area.

Linda Watkins, Human Resources Manager

Watkins2@duke.edu | Phone: (919) 681-0658

Linda Watkins is responsible for ensuring that the Institute's hiring is in compliance with Duke's human resources and payroll policies and procedures. She processes all new hires (postdoctoral fellows, associates in research, staff and undergraduate students) and any personnel changes, tracks how this affects grants, and is responsible for working with Duke Visa Services to secure visas for international researchers. Linda has worked with the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience (CCN) since 2002 (and DIBS since 2011) and has 25 years of work experience at Duke. She attended East Tennessee State University.

Linda Darling, Accounting Specialist

ldarling@duke.edu | Phone: (919) 668-6091

Linda Darling provides valuable financial support for university, endowment and grant funds associated with the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and its constituent centers. In addition to maintaining procurement records and expense vouchers, Linda also serves as WORKS administrator for the Institute. Additional responsibilities include reconciling corporate card transactions, processing travel awards and fielding accounts payable check requests. Linda has an associate's degree in accounting. She lives in Durham and has three grown sons.

Yvette Herrera, Staff Assistant

yvette.herrera@duke.edu | Phone: (919) 668-2512

Yvette Herrera joined the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences in 2011 as assistant to the directors of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences (DIBS), the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and the Duke Center for Interdisciplinary Decision Science. She also assists the DIBS research groups. Her role includes coordinating talks and events and providing general office administrative support. She brings administrative support experience from various industries, including architecture and engineering, healthcare and college admissions. Yvette received her BFA from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. She lives in Durham with her husband and young son.

Nancy Morgans, Staff Assistant

nmm@duke.edu | Phone: (919) 613-5025

Nancy Morgans joined the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences (DIBS) in 2011 and serves as the staff assistant for Undergraduate Studies in Neuroscience at Duke. Nancy received a B.A. from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Masters in library science from North Carolina Central University. She brings 18 years of Duke student services experience to the DIBS undergraduate education team.

Yimin Wei, Ph.D., Computer Project Manager

yimin.wei@duke.edu | Phone: (919) 660-0489

Dr. Wei joined the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience (CCN) as a computer project manager in 2001. Since then, he has provided help desk support, desktop support and server support for computer equipment and has also served as a liaison between end users and OIT and DHTS. Yimin serves as west campus team leader for the University Institutes and Centers Information Technology Support Group, which serves CCN, the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. He was instrumental in helping the IT support transition for the institutes. Prior to CCN, Yimin was an application programming specialist for a Durham company. Yimin received his Ph.D. in Engineering from North Carolina State University.

Kisan Upadhaya, IT Specialist

kisan.upadhaya@duke.edu | Phone: (919) 684-1227

Kisan works as an IT specialist to support multiple departments at Duke, including the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. Kisan began working at Duke as an information systems specialist for Duke University Medical Center, followed by an IT project manager position with Aramark Corporation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Originally from Kathmandu, Nepal, Kisan graduated from Kathmandu's Trivhuban University.

Duke Institute for Brain Sciences