Robert G Morrison

Robert G Morrison is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Loyola University Chicago, where he also serves as the Undergraduate Program Director. His research focuses on cognitive neuroscience, particularly analogical reasoning, executive functions, emotional processing, and media effects. He directs the Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (CAN) Lab and has been a faculty member at Loyola since 2009, advancing from Assistant to Associate Professor.

Dr. Morrison earned his PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from UCLA, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University's Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory. His research employs diverse methodologies including EEG/ERP brain imaging, brain stimulation (tACS/tDCS), neuropsychology, and computational modeling. He investigates how humans think, with specific interests in analogical reasoning, executive functions, emotion-cognition interactions, and creativity.

His research program spans developmental and aging populations, examining cognitive processes in children, young adults, and older adults. Current projects explore how structural information is recognized and used, how emotions impact cognitive control, and how world knowledge interacts with rational thinking. He has published extensively in top journals and co-edited the Oxford Handbook of Thinking and Reasoning.

Dr. Morrison has received numerous awards including the Edwin T. and Vivijeanne F. Sujack Award for Teaching Excellence and the Langerbeck Award for Undergraduate Research Mentoring. His recent work shows increasing focus on neural mechanisms of analogical reasoning, emotional processing, and the impact of media exposure on cognitive control.

As an educator, he teaches courses including Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, Lab in Experimental Psychology, and Psychology of Creativity. He has mentored numerous undergraduate and graduate students, with many co-authoring publications. His lab (CAN Lab) conducts research on cognitive and affective neuroscience, particularly focused on analogical reasoning and executive functions.