Sonia Bansal

Sonia Bansal, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), located at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. Her research focuses on understanding perceptual abnormalities in schizophrenia, employing methods such as behavioral/psychophysical techniques, eye tracking, first-person accounts, and event-related potential (ERP) recordings. She investigates the interplay between sensorimotor function, cognitive deficits, and psychotic symptoms, informed by theories of predictive mechanisms in sensorimotor control.

Education: BSc in Neuroscience & Psychology (Drake University, 2008); MSc in Biotechnology (Johns Hopkins University, 2011); PhD in Neuroscience (George Mason University, 2016).

Key research areas include schizophrenia, cognitive neuroscience, visual attention and perception, and sensorimotor systems. Her work aims to elucidate mechanisms underlying neurocognitive impairments and develop innovative behavioral interventions. Her publications span 2017 to 2020, addressing topics like saccadic deficits, working memory abnormalities, and top-down control failures in schizophrenia.

Dr. Bansal’s research has not yet been highlighted with named awards, but she actively contributes to the field through grants and collaborations. She is affiliated with the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center and focuses on translational research to improve patient outcomes.