MATTHEW EULER, PH.D.

Research Interests

Our lab studies how brain activity reflects and supports cognitive abilities, with a long-standing focus on EEG markers of individual differences. Our work spans:

• Studies that identify principles linking EEG activity to cognitive performance
• Studies on the translational potential of specific EEG markers (e.g., for identifying individuals at risk for dementia).
• Conceptual studies on the nature and neural correlates of cognitive differences

In the next several years, we aim to expand our toolkit to include additional ways of characterizing cognitive health and disease (e.g., pupillometry, eye-tracking, movement sensing, MRI). This work will address broader questions at the intersection of clinical neuropsychology and neuroscience, such as:

• How do perceived task difficulty and mental effort shape brain activation, and can these effects help predict cognitive decline?
• Can we improve how we conceptualize and measure cognitive reserve?
• What makes certain cognitive tasks especially sensitive to early signs of brain dysfunction?

We believe this work can improve early diagnosis, inform interventions, and deepen our understanding of the brain’s role in everyday cognition. We welcome students who want to connect the applied, person-centered focus of clinical neuropsychology with the conceptual and technical tools of neuroscience.

Opportunities for Students

Dr. Euler will be reviewing applications for the Fall 2025 admissions cycle (entering class of Fall 2026).

We recognize that applying to graduate school is a challenging and uncertain process. To help make that process more transparent and constructive, prospective applicants are encouraged to carefully review the information below:

Competitive applications typically demonstrate many of the following:

• Significant prior experience in neuropsychology, cognitive assessment, or cognitive neuroscience
• Often through undergraduate honors theses, poster presentations, post-baccalaureate research, or authorship on peer-reviewed manuscripts
• Direct experience with clinical populations, such as work as a psychometrist, psychiatric technician, crisis-line worker, or behavioral technician
• Strong academic record, excellent letters of recommendation, strong work ethic, and a passion for science
• Familiarity with EEG or neuroimaging data processing, behavioral task design, basic programming or data analysis, and/or coursework in philosophy
  
  

Applications with limited experience in these areas are unlikely to be competitive.

In your personal statement, please describe how your training thus far aligns with our lab and why this program is a strong fit for your long-term goals.

Note:  We value hearing your own voice and ideas in email inquiries and personal statements. Please avoid excessive use of AI, and we pledge to do the same in our interactions with you.

Education

Postdoctoral Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin (Adult Clinical Neuropsychology, 2010-2012)
Ph.D., University of New Mexico (Psychology, 2010)
M.S., University of New Mexico (Psychology, 2007)
B.A., New Mexico State University (Psychology & Philosophy, 2003)

Selected Publications

Euler, M. J., Guevara, J. E., Vehar, J. V., Geiger, A. R., McKinney, T. L., & Butner, J. E. (2025). Psychometric, pre-processing, and trial-type considerations in individual differences studies of EEG mid-frontal theta power and latency. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 211, 112555. 

Geiger, A.R., Euler, M.J., Guevara, J.E., Vehar, J.V., King, J., Duff, K., & Hoffman, J.M. (2025). Biomarker and neuropsychological correlates of the N400 event-related potential in Alzheimer’s disease. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 207, 112464. 

Euler, M.J., Vehar, J.V., Guevara, J.E., Geiger, A.R., Deboeck, P.R., & Lohse, K.R. (2024). Associations between the resting EEG aperiodic slope and broad domains of cognitive ability. Psychophysiology, 00, e14543. 

Euler, M.J., Duff, K., King, J.B., Hoffman, J.M. (2022). Recall and recognition subtests of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status and their relationship to biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease. Aging, Neuropsychology, & Cognition. 

Pathania, A., Euler, M.J., Clark, M., Duff, K, & Lohse, K.R. (2022). Resting EEG spectral slopes are associated with age-related differences in information processing speed. Biological Psychology. 

Euler, M. J., & Schubert, A. L. (2021). Recent developments, current challenges, and future directions in electrophysiological approaches to studying intelligence. Intelligence, 88, 101569.

Pathania, A., Schreiber, M., Miller, M., Euler, M.J., & Lohse, K.R. (2021). Exploring the reliability and sensitivity of the EEG power spectrum as a biomarker. International Journal of Psychophysiology.

McKinney, T.L., Euler, M.J., & Butner, J.E. (2020). It’s about time: The role of temporal variability in improving assessment of executive functioning. The Clinical Neuropsychologist.

Euler, M.J. (2018). Intelligence and uncertainty: Implications of hierarchical predictive processing for the neuroscience of cognitive ability. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 94, 93-112.

 

MY CURRENT GRADUATE STUDENTS

Caroline Armknecht (co-advised w/Dr. Payne)
Zanooz Cassim (co-advised w/ Dr. Williams)
Julia Vehar