Steve Luck

Steve Luck is a Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Davis, holding appointments in the Department of Psychology and the Center for Mind and Brain (CMB). He served as CMB Director from 2009–2019 and is affiliated with the UC Davis MIND Institute and the Center for Neuroscience. His research focuses on attention, working memory, and cognitive dysfunction in psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia), employing ERP recordings, eye tracking, and behavioral methods. He is a leading developer of ERP methodologies, including the ERPLAB Toolbox and global ERP Boot Camp workshops.

Education:

• Ph.D., Neurosciences, UC San Diego, 1993
• M.S., Neurosciences, UC San Diego, 1989
• B.A., Psychology, Reed College, 1986

Research Interests: Dr. Luck explores mechanisms of cognitive control, with a focus on working memory's role in guiding attention. His lab investigates ERP correlates of attentional deficits in schizophrenia and develops standardized ERP protocols. Recent work emphasizes multivariate decoding of EEG signals and transdiagnostic neurocognitive biomarkers.

Awards:

• Troland Award (2001)
• APA Distinguished Scientific Award (1998)
• McGuigan Young Investigator Prize (2004)
• Elected Fellow, Society of Experimental Psychologists and AAAS

Teaching & Leadership: Professor Luck pioneered hybrid course formats in Cognitive Science and teaches advanced topics in perception and cognitive neuroscience. He co-founded the UC Davis Cognitive Science major and advocates for innovative undergraduate education models.

Labs & Collaborations: The Luck Lab integrates clinical and basic research, collaborating globally on ERP method development and schizophrenia biomarker studies. Key projects include ERP Core resources and the CNTRACS consortium for neurocognitive reliability studies.