diff --git a/src/exabiome/nn/models/resnet.py b/src/exabiome/nn/models/resnet.py
index eaa7ce6..e9fe30b 100644
--- a/src/exabiome/nn/models/resnet.py
+++ b/src/exabiome/nn/models/resnet.py
@@ -145,6 +145,8 @@ def __init__(self, hparams):
             hparams.simple_clf = False
         if not hasattr(hparams, 'dropout_clf'):
             hparams.dropout_clf = False
+        if not hasattr(hparams, 'attention'):
+            hparams.attention = False    
 
         super(ResNet, self).__init__(hparams)
 
@@ -183,13 +185,21 @@ def __init__(self, hparams):
                                        dilate=replace_stride_with_dilation[2])
 
         n_output_channels = 512 * block.expansion
+        if hparams.attention:
+            hparams.bottleneck = True #just to make sure bottleneck is on if using attention
+        
         if hparams.bottleneck:
             self.bottleneck = FeatureReduction(n_output_channels, 64 * block.expansion)
             n_output_channels = 64 * block.expansion
         else:
             self.bottleneck = None
-
+            
         self.avgpool = nn.AdaptiveAvgPool1d(1)
+        
+        if hparams.attention:
+            self.attention = nn.MultiheadAttention(n_output_channels, 16)
+        else:
+            self.attention = None
 
         if hparams.tgt_tax_lvl == 'all':
             self.fc = HierarchicalClassifier(n_output_channels, hparams.n_taxa_all)
@@ -314,15 +324,20 @@ def _forward_impl(self, x):
         x = self.layer2(x)
         x = self.layer3(x)
         x = self.layer4(x)
-
-
+        
         if self.bottleneck is not None:
             x = self.bottleneck(x)
 
         x = self.avgpool(x)
+        
+        if self.attention is not False:
+            x = x.permute(2, 0, 1)
+            x, _ = self.attention(x, x, x)
+            x = x.permute(1, 2, 0)
+            
         x = torch.flatten(x, 1)
         x = self.fc(x)
-
+        
         return x
 
     def forward(self, x):
diff --git a/src/exabiome/nn/train.py b/src/exabiome/nn/train.py
index 70a6742..ecc03fd 100644
--- a/src/exabiome/nn/train.py
+++ b/src/exabiome/nn/train.py
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ def get_conf_args():
         'classify': dict(action='store_true', help='run a classification problem', default=False),
         'manifold': dict(action='store_true', help='run a manifold learning problem', default=False),
         'bottleneck': dict(action='store_true', help='add bottleneck layer at the end of ResNet features', default=True),
+        'attention' : dict(help='add an attention layer at end of ResNet features', default=False),
         'tgt_tax_lvl': dict(choices=DeepIndexFile.taxonomic_levels, metavar='LEVEL', default='species',
                            help='the taxonomic level to predict. choices are phylum, class, order, family, genus, species'),
         'simple_clf': dict(action='store_true', help='Use a single FC layer as the classifier for ResNets', default=False),