Kaiki Chiu, Postgraduate Associate

Lessons from a Postgraduate Psychology Researcher

Written by Sofia Sato

Edited by Valentina Zhang

Kaiki Chiu is fascinated by spatiotemporal regularities: how do people learn patterns across space and time, store them in long-term memory, and later use them to anticipate what is coming? After completing her degree in Cognitive Science at Barnard College, she joined Dr. Kia Nobre’s Brain & Cognition Lab at Yale as a full-time research assistant. Here, Kaiki is exploring precisely those questions through behavioral and neuroimaging studies.

Kaiki’s entry into psychology research began during her junior year at Barnard College, when she spent two semesters studying abroad at Oxford University. As part of a small cohort in Oxford’s prestigious Psychology, Philosophy, and Linguistics program, Kaiki discovered her passion for the cognitive science of attention. While the program emphasized rigorous academic study, Kaiki also used her second semester to actively seek out research opportunities, landing herself on metacognition and attention research. Through close mentorship, she realized that it was the study of attention in psychology that truly excited her.

Kaiki thrived in her research projects, although she acknowledges that it had a “steep learning curve.” She advised, “The most important thing for an undergrad looking for research is to figure out how to actually be useful – people appreciate it when you can jump in on coding, data analysis, or building experiments.” She emphasized the importance of practical skills, such as learning to use software like R for analysis and adapting existing code bases in PsychoPy for experimental design. Though she had taken coding classes, she found YouTube tutorials more practical for lab work.

Back at Barnard for her senior year, Kaiki began attending all of Columbia’s colloquia and departmental symposia. One of the events ultimately led her to Professor Michelle Greene, whose work aligned closely with Kaiki’s interests on perception and attention. Kaiki joined Professor Greene’s lab as a research assistant and, before graduating, co-presented a poster at the Vision Sciences Society (VSS) conference in Florida. Although she had been unsure about her next steps post-graduation, the conference helped her make up her mind. “I went to VSS to figure out whether I liked research – including the community and lifestyle,” she recalled. It was at VSS that Kaiki met Dr. Kia Nobre in person at a demo event. Kaiki had listened to Dr. Nobre’s lectures at Oxford and had previously emailed her, but it was that brief conversation that helped her make a personal connection. “Lab PIs get so many emails every day– hundreds, even. If you can find a way to talk to them in person, they are more likely to find your name and reach out to you afterward.”

That conversation led to Kaiki’s current role in the Brain & Cognition Lab in the summer of 2024, shortly after graduating from Barnard. “The transition felt natural,” Kaiki noted. “It just felt like doing what I had done as an undergrad [researcher] – just for longer.” Over time, though, the reality of full-time research became clearer. “Now that people are looking to me to produce things – writing papers, abstracts – there is more responsibility.”

Kaiki’s first project in the lab involved supporting an ongoing study led by a postdoctoral researcher, William Narhi-Martinez, which helped her learn the lab’s neuroimaging tools and behavioral paradigms. She received hands-on training in BrainWorks, Yale’s cognitive neuroscience facility, where she gained experience with eye tracking and behavioral measures.

Now, she is leading her own research project that investigates whether people can detect and internalize spatiotemporal regularities and use them to guide attentional anticipation. The study has gone through several iterations: the first version was inherited from a former lab manager; Kaiki and William redesigned the conditions for version two. After presenting the experimental design at the lab’s internal PIPs forum and receiving feedback, the project evolved into its current version, incorporating refined spatial and temporal manipulation. Participants respond with their left or right hand to stimuli appearing in various quadrants, with conditions that vary in timing, location, and response mapping. The study also integrates both magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG), which is collectively known as MEEG. Kaiki is currently preparing to use a MEG-compatible cap instead of using the two separately, a shift that allows for a more streamlined setup.

For Kaiki, learning neuroimaging methods is a key part of preparing for graduate school. She sees the two-year research assistant role as the perfect stepping stone. “The first year flies by– you’re mostly setting up experiments,” she said. “But in the second year, you begin to have projects of your own.” Part of her current work involves learning neuroimaging techniques and gaining hands-on experience with MEEG. She is currently looking into research programs with an eye toward how different schools structure their curricula – some with more coursework, others with a greater emphasis on research.

When asked what advice she would offer to students interested in research, Kaiki emphasized the importance of seeking out opportunities and building skills early. “If you are not applying to grad school right away, working as a research assistant is often a critical step,” she said. She also emphasized the importance of in-person connections, whether at conferences or campus events. “Most labs do not publicly advertise openings, especially for post-graduate positions,” she said. “In many cases, it is just about being in the right place and showing genuine interest.” For her, attending talks, reaching out to mentors, and pursuing technical proficiency were all essential parts of the journey– from Barnard, to Oxford, to Yale’s Brain & Cognition Lab.