Rate My Professor Adam Snyder

Adam C. Snyder is an Assistant Professor with joint primary appointments in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Rochester. He also holds an affiliate appointment in the Center for Visual Science. Snyder earned a B.A. in Language and Mind from New York University in 2006, graduating magna cum laude, and a Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from the City University of New York Graduate School and University Center in 2011. His doctoral advisor was John J. Foxe, and his thesis examined the countervailing forces of selection and binding in vision. He completed postdoctoral fellowships at Albert Einstein College of Medicine (2011–2012), the University of Pittsburgh (2012–2015), and Carnegie Mellon University (2015–2018).

Snyder’s research focuses on the computational mechanisms that enable the brain to process goal-relevant visual information and block out distractions. His work investigates micro- and macro-scale mechanisms of visual attention, using electrophysiological methods such as EEG and neural population recordings alongside computational models. The lab examines attention dynamics and memory systems across scales, from individual neurons to brain-wide coordination, with the goal of developing interventions to improve navigation of complex visual environments. Key honors include the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Research Fellowship (2020), NARSAD Young Investigator Award (2019), NIH Pathway to Independence Award, and multiple NIH NRSA fellowships. He has served on NIH study sections, reviewed for numerous journals, and held roles on departmental committees and seminar series at the University of Rochester. Snyder teaches courses including Neuroscience 203: Lab in Neurobiology and Brain and Cognitive Sciences 505: Perception, Action and Neural Foundations.