Dean Mobbs

Dean Mobbs is a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Director of the Caltech Brain Imaging Center. He holds the Allen V. C. Davis and Lenabelle Davis Leadership Chair. His research focuses on the neural and behavioral dynamics of fear, anxiety, and social interactions, merging insights from behavioral ecology, economics, and evolutionary psychology. Mobbs earned his B.S. from the University of Birmingham (1999) and Ph.D. from University College London (2008). He previously served as an Assistant Professor at Columbia University and a researcher at Stanford University.

His work explores how the brain processes safety signals, group dynamics influencing threat perception, and computational models of survival strategies. Key findings include the role of the medial prefrontal cortex in spatial safety decisions and the hypothalamus's coordination of defensive behaviors. Mobbs has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the APS Janet Taylor Spence Award (2015) and NARSAD Young Investigator Award (2015).

His lab, the Fear Lab at Caltech, investigates mechanisms behind fear, anxiety, and social behavior, emphasizing translational models for psychiatric disorders. Publications span neuroscience, cognitive science, and behavioral research, highlighting interdisciplinary approaches to understanding survival and social cognition.