Dean Falk

Dean Falk is the Hale G. Smith Professor of Anthropology and Distinguished Research Professor at Florida State University's Department of Anthropology. Her research focuses on paleoneurology, hominin evolution, and the origins of language/music. She earned her Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Michigan (1976) and has contributed significantly to understanding brain evolution through fossil endocasts.

Notable work includes challenging microcephaly claims about the 'Hobbit' species Homo floresiensis, analyzing Albert Einstein's brain, and exploring the role of motherese in language origins. Falk has published extensively and lectures globally. Her recent projects include collaborating on Hans Asperger's historical letters and advancing studies on bipedalism's impact on fetal development.

Her research interests span biological anthropology, fossil hominins, and the evolutionary links between cognition and creativity. She has been featured in Discover magazine and media worldwide, though she is currently not actively recruiting students. Upcoming talks include a 2025 lecture series in Austria and collaborative work on translating Asperger's correspondence.