McCullagh elevates student experience through innovative neuroscience lab

At Oklahoma State University, groundbreaking research and student mentorship often go hand in hand.

For Dr. Elizabeth McCullagh, an associate professor in the Department of Integrative Biology, that connection is at the heart of her work, and it’s now being recognized on a national level.

McCullagh has been awarded a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, one of the most prestigious honors given to early career faculty. The award provides approximately $1 million in funding over five years, supporting both her research and educational initiatives. In addition, she recently secured a National Institutes of Health R01 grant of about $3 million for a related project, bringing total funding to nearly $4 million.

“Personally, it’s one of the most prestigious awards you can get as an academic,” McCullagh said. “It always feels really good to know that your colleagues think your work is valuable and want to support it financially.”

Beyond the recognition, the award represents something even more meaningful: stability, growth and opportunity, for both the lab and the students within it.

Exploring How the Brain Processes Meaningful Sound

McCullagh’s research centers on the auditory system, which is how the brain processes sound.

As a neuroscientist, she is interested not just in how we hear, but how we interpret and prioritize certain sounds over others.

Her CAREER project explores a compelling question. Why are humans more attuned to sounds made by people they care about?

To explain, McCullagh offers a personal analogy.

“I have two kids, and before I had them, I didn’t necessarily pay attention to or care about kid sounds,” she said. “Now, if I passed a playground and one of my kids fell and started crying, I would know immediately that it’s my child and where they are.”

This heightened sensitivity, she explains, suggests that the brain may be “tuned” to prioritize socially meaningful sounds, like a child’s distress call or a loved one’s voice.

Her research investigates whether the hormone oxytocin, known for its role in social bonding, plays a part in this process. Her lab is studying how oxytocin may influence how the brain processes sound location and social cues.

“It opens up all these questions,” McCullagh said. “Even if it’s not doing exactly what we think, it’s got to be doing something. And no one is really looking at this right now, so it gives our lab a unique niche.”

The five-year CAREER funding allows her team to explore these questions in depth, something shorter-term grants rarely permit.

“That length really gives us enough time to address these questions on a more rigorous level,” she said. “It also allows us to support students long-term, even potentially through an entire Ph.D. program.”

Expanding Research on Autism and Auditory Processing

In parallel, McCullagh’s NIH-funded project focuses on Fragile X Syndrome, a genetic condition and leading cause of autism.

This research examines how the brain processes the speed of sound, an important factor in understanding why individuals with Fragile X often struggle to hear in noisy environments.

Undergraduate researcher Olivia Emerson has been directly involved in this work, studying how Fragile X affects responses to different sound frequencies using established research models.

“It’s something that affects a lot of different people,” Emerson said. “Being able to see the crossover between a model and how it impacts humans we interact with every day has been really special.”

The combined funding from NSF and NIH supports not only the science itself, but also the people behind it, graduate students, undergraduate researchers and, for the first time in McCullagh’s lab, a postdoctoral fellow.

Building a Lab Culture That Prioritizes People

That postdoctoral fellow, Juhee Juhee, describes joining McCullagh’s lab as both professionally and personally transformative.

“Working with Dr. McCullagh is an absolute delight, she’s highly collaborative, deeply supportive and brimming with her powerhouse energy,” she said. “She has made everything so easy and uncomplicated for me right from the start.”

Juhee emphasizes McCullagh’s balance between hands-on mentorship and independence.

“She dives into the details of experimental design but encourages independence,” she said. “It’s supportive, with constructive feedback that builds confidence.”

For Juhee, the CAREER Award is not just a milestone for the lab, it’s a catalyst for growth.

“It directly supports our innovative neuroscience work with essential resources for cutting-edge tools and experiments,” she said. “For me, it means contributing to transformative research while accelerating my own growth as a postdoc.”

Graduate students echo that sentiment, pointing to McCullagh’s mentorship as a defining aspect of their academic journeys.

Casey Sergott, a fourth-year Ph.D. student, describes her as “communicative, inclusive and supportive,” noting that McCullagh prioritizes students’ well-being alongside their work.

“She’s willing to meet you where you’re at,” Sergott said. “If you have a lot on your plate, she’s not going to expect you to be in the lab eight hours a day. She wants what’s best for you, regardless of your role.”

Genesis Alacon, a second-year Ph.D. student, highlights McCullagh’s accessibility and teaching style.

“She has an open-door policy, so anytime I’m frustrated or concerned, I can just pop in,” Alacon said. “She’s very good about leading you to the answer rather than giving it to you, which really helps you develop as a scientist.”

For many students, the CAREER Award also serves as validation.

“It was huge,” Alacon said. “It showed that the science community believes in the work we’re doing.”

A Commitment to Teaching and Outreach

The CAREER Award is unique in that it emphasizes not only research but also education and outreach, an aspect that aligns closely with McCullagh’s teaching philosophy.

“I really want to create a community in any class that I teach,” she said. “If students feel comfortable asking questions and engaging, they’re more likely to get something meaningful out of the class.”

Her approach involves interactive teaching methods, from whiteboarding exercises to open discussions, designed to encourage participation and deeper understanding.

“She doesn’t just lecture,” Emerson said. “She really makes you feel valued, no matter what level you’re at.”

McCullagh is also using CAREER funding to develop new educational initiatives, including a hands-on neuroanatomy course that will give undergraduate students direct experience with brain research.

“It’s a way for students to go from seeing the brain to actually conducting experiments and analyzing their own data,” she said. “We hope it will serve as a gateway into research.”

Connecting Science to the Community

Beyond campus, McCullagh’s work is reaching the broader community through outreach projects supported by the CAREER Award.

One such initiative, “The Sound of Science,” is a collaboration with local speaker company Kicker. The project features interactive exhibits that demonstrate how sound works, bringing complex scientific concepts to life for audiences of all ages.

The exhibit has already been showcased at science fairs, community events and even OSU tailgates, with overwhelmingly positive reception.

“It’s been a really fun way to engage people in what we’re doing and get them excited about science,” McCullagh said.

Additionally, the NIH grant will support a regional autism conference, connecting individuals with autism and their families to scientists studying the condition.

A Lasting Impact

For McCullagh, the CAREER Award represents more than just funding; it’s an opportunity to deepen her research, expand educational programs and continue fostering a supportive lab environment.

For her students, it’s something even more personal.

“I have no doubt that my connection with Dr. McCullagh is going to get me where I need to be,” Sergott said.

Emerson agrees, adding that McCullagh’s example has shaped her own aspirations.

“Seeing her balance a family and a career in science shows me that I can do both,” she said. “I’ve grown so much as a student and as a person in her lab.”

As McCullagh’s research continues to push the boundaries of neuroscience, her impact is already clear, not only in the questions her lab is answering, but also in the scientists she is helping to shape along the way.

Story By: Summer Wilson | sumwils@okstate.edu