Joseph Kable is the Jean-Marie Kneeley President's Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Psychology within the School of Arts and Sciences. His research integrates experimental economics, cognitive neuroscience, and personality psychology to investigate the neural and psychological mechanisms underlying decision-making. He explores how subjective value is represented in the brain, deviations from rational choice theory, and individual differences in decision processes. His lab employs fMRI and interdisciplinary methods to study topics like risk tolerance, impulsivity, and neural plasticity. Education: BS in Chemistry from Emory University (undergraduate), PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania (doctoral). Research focuses on behavioral and cognitive neuroscience mechanisms of choice, including studies on temporal predictions, value signals, and brain structure-function relationships. His recent work examines how neural markers correlate with decision-making variability across individuals. He currently advises graduate students in Psychology and has post-doctoral researchers in his lab. Associated with MindCORE, Penn's hub for integrative mind research. Lab activities include undergraduate research programs and active studies exploring decision neuroscience and neuroeconomics.
Prof. Dr. Claudia Peus is a full Professor of Research and Science Management at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) School of Management , serving since May 2011. She holds executive roles as Founding Director of the TUM Institute for LifeLong Learning (TUM IL3) since December 2019 and Executive Vice President for Talent Management and Diversity since October 2017. Her career spans visiting positions at MIT's Sloan School of Management and Harvard University, alongside her habilitation (2011) and PhD (2005) from LMU Munich. Current affiliations: TUM School of Management, TUM IL3, RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research Research focuses: Leadership development in the digital age, diversity in organizations, ethical leadership, and research organization management Recent research trends analyze digital leadership dynamics, gender-decoded recruitment practices, robotic leadership interfaces, and neurophysiological mechanisms in leadership behavior. Her 2025 work on moral careers and 2024 resource-based absorption theory highlight evolving themes in organizational psychology. Scientific honors include: Highly Cited Research Award, Leadership Quarterly (2016) Emerald Citations of Excellence (2016) Best Teaching Award, TUM School of Management (2014) Academy of Management Symposium Award (2010) Bayerische Landesbank Wissenschaftspreis (2006) Prof. Peus advises organizations on diversity and talent management. She was recognized as one of Germany's Most Inspiring Women (2020) and leads projects like FührMINT, ForGenderCare, and the TUM Neurophysiological Leadership Lab (NeLeLab).
Dr. Birgit Frauscher is the Lincoln Financial Group Distinguished Professor in Neurobiology at Duke University School of Medicine, where she serves as Professor of Neurology and holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Duke Pratt School of Engineering. She is currently the Director of the Duke Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and leads the Analytical Neurophysiology (ANPHY) Lab. Her clinical and research work focuses on epilepsy and sleep medicine, utilizing both invasive and non-invasive electrical recordings to study brain activity in humans. Dr. Frauscher completed her medical training, neurology residency, and subspecialty training in electroencephalography, epilepsy, and sleep medicine at the Medical University of Innsbruck in Austria. After completing her clinical training in 2008, she earned her habilitation degree in 2011. She further specialized in intracranial EEG and signal analysis during a visiting professorship at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University (2013-2015), where she later served as an Attending Epileptologist and Group Leader of Epilepsy. Her research interests focus on developing novel seizure-independent EEG markers for the epileptogenic zone, investigating sleep-epilepsy interactions, and using intracranial EEG to study brain physiology during wakefulness and sleep. Her work aims to improve epilepsy diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment outcomes by better localizing the epileptic focus. Dr. Frauscher's recent publications demonstrate her continued leadership in epilepsy research, with over 170 peer-reviewed papers and an H-index of 62. Dr. Frauscher has received several prestigious awards including the Clinician-Scientist awards of the FRSQ (2018-2023), the Michael Prize of the International League against Epilepsy (2019), and the Ernst Niedermeyer Prize from the Austrian Epilepsy Society (2015). Her scholarly work has significantly advanced clinical knowledge in epilepsy and sleep medicine, establishing her as a leading figure in the field. As Director of the Duke Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and head of the ANPHY lab, Dr. Frauscher oversees a research program dedicated to advancing neuroscience through innovative approaches to studying brain activity. Her lab employs quantifiable tools to investigate neurophysiological and pathological processes related to epilepsy and sleep, with the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes through better understanding of brain function.
John P. O'Doherty serves as the Fletcher Jones Professor of Decision Neuroscience within Caltech's Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, holding continuous faculty appointments since 2004 (Assistant Professor 2004-07, Associate Professor 2007-09, Professor 2009-present, Fletcher Jones Professor 2021-present). He previously directed the Caltech Brain Imaging Center (2013-17) and maintains affiliations with the T&C Chen Center for Social and Decision Neuroscience. His educational background includes a B.A. from University of Dublin, Trinity College (1996) and D.Phil. from University of Oxford (2000). His research focuses on computational and neural mechanisms of reward-based learning and decision-making , employing fMRI, intracranial recordings, and mathematical modeling to investigate how the brain solves complex decision problems through evolutionarily conserved algorithms. Key areas include Reinforcement learning systems (model-based/model-free arbitration) Observational and social learning mechanisms Neural representation of value, risk, and uncertainty Computational phenotyping of mental disorders Temporal dynamics of goal persistence Analysis of his 2023-2025 publications reveals dominant trends in computational psychiatry (problem gambling, autism traits), hierarchical decision-making, and neuroeconomic modeling of social behavior. His work consistently integrates cross-species computational frameworks with human neuroimaging to identify transdiagnostic mechanisms. While specific awards beyond his endowed professorship aren't detailed, his leadership as Brain Imaging Center Director and prolific high-impact publications demonstrate significant recognition. Current advising includes graduate researcher Sneha Aenugu on goal-persistence projects, with administrative support from Mary A. Martin (mmartin@caltech.edu). His active research program continues to pioneer computational approaches to understanding decision pathologies.
Marc V Fuccillo is an Associate Professor of Neuroscience at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, where he leads a research laboratory focused on understanding the neural circuit mechanisms underlying behavioral control. His work bridges molecular, synaptic, and behavioral approaches to investigate how striatal circuits regulate mouse behavior from simple motor patterns to complex goal-directed actions. Fuccillo holds dual appointments in the Neuroscience and Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Groups at Penn and maintains an active laboratory investigating the synaptic and circuit basis of neuropsychiatric disorders. Education: B.A. in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Music Performance (Violin) from Brown University (1998) Ph.D. in Developmental Genetics from New York University School of Medicine (2007) M.D. from New York University School of Medicine (2008) Fuccillo's research centers on the synaptic and circuit mechanisms of behavioral control, with particular emphasis on striatal circuits. His laboratory employs a range of technologies including mouse genetics, in vitro electrophysiology, in vivo imaging, and quantitative behavioral analysis to explore how neural circuits of the striatum regulate behavior and how disruptions in these circuits contribute to neuropsychiatric disorders. His work has particularly focused on autism-associated abnormalities in behavioral control, examining how synaptic adhesion molecules like neuroligins and neurexins shape circuit function and behavior, with significant findings regarding D1 dopamine receptor positive medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens. Analysis of Fuccillo's recent publications reveals a strong focus on striatal circuit function across multiple dimensions. His work spans molecular neuroscience (examining synaptic adhesion molecules), cellular physiology (studying specific neuron types in striatal circuits), systems neuroscience (mapping circuit connectivity), and behavioral neuroscience (quantifying motor learning and decision-making). A unifying theme is how disruptions in specific molecular pathways lead to circuit-level abnormalities that manifest as behavioral phenotypes relevant to neuropsychiatric disorders, with particular attention to autism, OCD, and schizophrenia models. Scientific Recognition: Publications in high-impact journals including Nature Neuroscience, Current Biology, Cell Reports, and Neuron Research supported by multiple NIH grants including NIMH F32, NIMH K01, and HHMI Gilliam Fellowship awards for lab members Fuccillo actively mentors a diverse group of trainees including postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduates. His laboratory has produced numerous successful alumni who have gone on to faculty positions, medical residencies, and graduate programs at prestigious institutions. His mentoring approach emphasizes technical skill development across multiple neuroscience disciplines while fostering independent scientific thinking. Current research in his lab is supported by NIH funding focused on understanding the molecular architecture of striatal circuits and their role in behavioral control, with three major research directions exploring molecular logic of striatal circuits, circuit mechanisms of behavioral control, and striatal dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disease models. The Fuccillo Laboratory operates within the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania, with access to state-of-the-art facilities for molecular, electrophysiological, imaging, and behavioral neuroscience research. The lab maintains active collaborations with other neuroscience research groups at Penn and beyond, creating a rich intellectual environment for studying the neural basis of behavior. Current research directions include investigating whether there is a molecular logic to striatal circuit composition, how striatal circuits shape behavioral control, and what mouse models of autism, schizophrenia, and OCD can reveal about striatal circuit dysfunction in disease pathophysiology.
John D. Murray is the Gregg L. Engles Associate Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Dartmouth College and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine. He holds a PhD in Physics from Yale University (2013) and a BS in Physics and Mathematics from Yale (2006). His research focuses on computational neuroscience and computational psychiatry, with secondary appointments in Physics and Neuroscience at Yale until 2023. His work integrates computational modeling, neuroimaging, and systems neuroscience to study decision-making processes, cortical organization, and psychiatric disorders. Collaborators include prominent researchers like Dr. John Krystal and Dr. Anticevic. Research interests include hierarchical brain organization, neuroimaging analysis techniques, and pharmacological effects on neural circuits. His lab (Murray Lab) develops computational tools like PsychRNN for cognitive task modeling. Notable contributions include linking transcriptomic data to neuroimaging patterns and modeling LSD’s effects on brain topography. He has been featured in YaleNews and Nature Communications for innovations in mapping mental illness variability and neural circuit dynamics. Grants and collaborations span translational neuroscience, addiction, and PTSD research through partnerships with Yale’s Center for Biomedical Data Science and VA National Center for PTSD. His interdisciplinary approach bridges physics, computer science, and clinical psychiatry to advance understanding of brain function and dysfunction.
Noah J. Cowan is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University's Whiting School of Engineering, with secondary appointments in Computer Science, Electrical & Computer Engineering, and Neuroscience. He is the founder and director of the Locomotion in Mechanical and Biological Systems (LIMBS) Laboratory, part of the Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics. His research focuses on neuromechanics, robotics, and control theory, bridging neuroscience, biomechanics, and engineering. Cowan's work investigates how organisms achieve precise locomotion and applies these insights to advance robotics, neuroprosthetics, and rehabilitation technologies. Education: B.S. Electrical Engineering (Ohio State, 1995), M.S. and Ph.D. Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (University of Michigan, 1997/2001). Postdoctoral fellowship at UC Berkeley (2001–2003) before joining Johns Hopkins. Research Interests: Neuromechanics of motion, bio-inspired robotics, multisensory integration in animals (e.g., electric fish, Drosophila), and sensorimotor control in clinical contexts like cerebellar ataxia. His lab studies how neural circuits interact with biomechanics to produce movement, with applications to robotic design and neurological disorder treatments. Awards & Recognition: Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (2010), IEEE Fellow, NSF CAREER Award (2009), and multiple teaching and research excellence awards at Johns Hopkins. His work has been published in top journals like Nature , Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , and IEEE Transactions on Robotics . Outreach & Mentorship: Longtime mentor for high school and undergraduate students in STEM, leading programs like the Baltimore Ingenuity Project and WISE. Served as team leader for the STEM Achievement in Baltimore Elementary Schools (SABES) initiative. Key Projects: Development of the LIMBS Lab’s VR systems for animal studies, bioelectric navigation technologies for medical devices, and collaborations with clinicians on upper limb movement disorders. His team’s research on electric fish and fruit flies has revealed principles of adaptive control applicable to robotics and AI.
Erik Willcutt is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder. His research focuses on the genetic and neurobehavioral underpinnings of ADHD, learning disabilities, and developmental psychopathologies. He holds positions at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics and the Center for Neuroscience. Education: PhD in Psychology from the University of Denver (1998). Research Interests: Etiology and assessment of ADHD, reading disabilities, and developmental psychopathologies. His work integrates behavioral genetics, neuroimaging, and longitudinal twin studies to understand cognitive and psychiatric disorders. Key topics include neuroanatomical correlates of ADHD, genetic influences on dyslexia, and comorbidity between learning disabilities and psychiatric conditions. Publications highlight advanced methods like genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and phenotype harmonization (e.g., Rosetta method). His work bridges molecular genetics with clinical psychology, emphasizing translational research. Lab/Affiliations: Active in the Institute for Behavioral Genetics and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams studying neurodevelopmental disorders. Office located at Muenzinger D451B.
Dr. Megan Renna is an Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University's Teachers College and completed a postdoctoral fellowship funded by the National Cancer Institute at Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her research focuses on the bidirectional relationship between psychological and physical health, particularly how emotion regulation and negative emotionality contribute to chronic disease risk in breast cancer survivors and healthy adults. Education: Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (2019) and M.Ph. (2018) from Teachers College, Columbia University Training: Predoctoral internship at Duke University Medical Center Her work bridges clinical psychology, psychophysiology, and behavioral medicine through studies on inflammation, autonomic dysfunction, and cancer survivorship. Recent publications examine metabolic syndrome, smartwatch body composition metrics, and couples' health dynamics. Key research themes include stress reactivity, emotion regulation therapy, and biobehavioral pathways linking mental states to physiological outcomes. Dr. Renna teaches Advanced Psychopathology and can be reached at Megan.Renna@usm.edu. Her methodological expertise spans experimental worry inductions, longitudinal studies, and psychometric scale development, with a focus on reducing distress disorders through emotion regulation interventions.
Kevin M. Franks is an Associate Professor of Neurobiology at Duke University, where he investigates how the olfactory system forms neural representations of sensory environments. His work focuses on functional neural circuits in the olfactory bulb and piriform cortex, using techniques like in vivo recordings, optogenetics, and behavioral assays. His research explores Neural circuit dynamics and plasticity Odor coding mechanisms Role of recurrent circuitry Integration of sensory modalities Recent publications highlight his contributions to understanding cortical odor representations, developmental neural connectivity, and cross-modal interactions. Awards include the 2024 Don Tucker Finalist recognition. He teaches advanced neuroscience courses at Duke, including Neurobiology research and concepts in neuronal systems.
Dr. Sabine Krabbe is a Group Leader at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Bonn, Germany, where she leads research on neural circuit mechanisms underlying adaptive learning and state-dependent decision-making. Her work integrates neuroscience, molecular biology, and behavioral approaches to understand how internal states influence behavior and how these processes are disrupted in neurological disorders. Dr. Krabbe's research focuses on the interactions between midbrain circuits of the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area with their output structures such as the striatum and amygdala. She investigates how these networks integrate internal states with environmental cues to produce appropriate behavioral responses. Her laboratory employs state-of-the-art techniques including deep-brain calcium imaging at single-cell resolution in mice, opto- and pharmacogenetic manipulations, anatomical tracings, and molecular approaches to characterize neural circuit elements in detail. Her recent publications reveal significant insights into amygdala interneuron plasticity during fear learning, brain-wide representational drift in memory consolidation, and the molecular mechanisms underlying Parkinson's disease progression. Her work demonstrates how activity patterns within specific neural circuits change in early stages of neurodegenerative diseases and how this dysfunction contributes to cognitive deficits and emotional disturbances. Dr. Krabbe is actively involved in the neuroscience community, organizing the BonnBrain Conference 2026 and sharing research through social media platforms. She has established herself as an emerging leader in the field of systems neuroscience with a particular focus on the neural basis of emotional states and decision-making processes.
Andrew Mondschein is Associate Professor of Urban and Environmental Planning at University of Virginia School of Architecture, serving as Associate Dean of Research. His work focuses on equitable transportation systems, sustainable accessibility, and impacts of emerging technologies on urban mobility. Education includes: PhD, University of California, Los Angeles MA Urban Planning, University of California, Los Angeles BA Architecture, Yale University Research examines how transportation technologies affect social equity and urban form, with emphasis on pedestrian wellbeing, autonomous vehicle adoption, parking policy, and community-centered planning. Recent publications demonstrate strong focus on psychophysiological impacts of urban walking, cross-cultural mobility studies, and spatial analysis of transportation preferences. Articles show consistent themes: urban walkability (especially health impacts), autonomous vehicle integration, parking policy analysis using novel data sources, and community-centered planning approaches. Methodologically, employs mixed methods including biometric sensing, sentiment analysis of social media, geospatial modeling, and participatory design. No specific awards mentioned. Teaching covers transportation policy, land use, environmental impacts, and research methods with emphasis on ethical planning practices.
Michael J. Frank is the Edgar L. Marston Professor of Psychology and Professor of Brain Science at Brown University's School of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences. He holds academic affiliations with the Carney Institute for Brain Science and specializes in cognitive neuroscience, computational neuroscience, and decision-making processes. Frank earned his Ph.D. in Neuroscience & Psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2004, and joined Brown University in 2011 after serving as a Professor at the University of Arizona. His research integrates computational modeling and experimental methods to explore neural mechanisms underlying reinforcement learning, decision-making, and cognitive control, with a focus on prefrontal cortex-basal ganglia interactions and dopamine modulation. Frank's honors include the Troland Research Award (2021), Kavli Fellowship (2016), and the Cognitive Neuroscience Society Young Investigator Award (2011). He is an editor for eLife, Behavioral Neuroscience, and the Journal of Neuroscience. His lab, based at http://ski.clps.brown.edu, investigates topics such as neural circuit models of cognitive control, neuropsychological testing, and translational applications of computational models in psychiatry. Frank's research emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, combining behavioral experiments, neuroimaging (fMRI, EEG), and pharmacological studies to dissect brain-behavior relationships. Key findings include insights into dopamine's role in motivation, decision-making deficits in schizophrenia, and computational phenotyping of mental disorders. His work bridges basic science and clinical applications, aiming to inform therapeutic strategies for neurological and psychiatric conditions.
Priya Raman, Ph.D., FCVS, is an Associate Professor of Integrative Medical Sciences at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED). She holds tenure and serves as Co-Director of the Basic and Translational Biomedicine (BTB) Graduate Program and Chair of the Kent State University-Biomedical Sciences Pharmacology Graduate Program. Her academic roles include teaching in NEOMED’s medical curriculum, focusing on pharmacology, cardiovascular systems, and clinical therapeutics. Raman’s research explores molecular mechanisms linking metabolic disorders (e.g., diabetes, metabolic syndrome) to vascular dysfunction and Alzheimer’s disease, using mouse models and cellular/molecular techniques. She has published extensively on thrombospondin-1, O-GlcNAc signaling, and atherosclerosis pathogenesis. Education: B.Pharm. and M.Pharm. (India), Ph.D. in Pharmacology (University of Louisiana at Monroe). She has over 25 years of postdoctoral and faculty experience, including roles at the Cleveland Clinic and Indiana University School of Medicine. Raman serves on editorial boards for journals like International Journal of Cardiology and Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine , and reviews grants for the American Heart Association and NIH. Research focus areas include: (1) Vascular smooth muscle cell phenotypic switching in metabolic diseases, (2) Non-lipid mechanisms of vascular disease in metabolic syndrome, and (3) Interactions between metabolic disorders and neurodegeneration. Her lab employs biochemical assays, mouse models (e.g., ApoE-/-, KKAy), and advanced imaging techniques to study these pathways. Notable recent work includes discovering that O-GlcNAc transferase deletion reduces atherosclerosis in hyperglycemic mice and identifying thrombospondin-1’s role in leptin-driven vascular pathology. She has also linked metabolic syndrome-induced O-GlcNAc deficits to Alzheimer’s-like cognitive impairment in aging mice. Raman is actively involved in interprofessional education and mentoring, directing graduate programs and teaching courses in pharmacology, molecular signaling, and diabetes/vascular disease. Her work bridges basic science and clinical applications, aiming to develop novel therapies for metabolic syndrome-related vascular complications.
Gaetano Valenza is an Associate Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Pisa, Italy, where he leads the Neuro-Cardiovascular Intelligence Lab at the Enrico Piaggio Research Centre. He holds affiliations with the Neuroscience Statistics Research Laboratory at MIT and has served as a Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. His academic work spans bioengineering, computational physiology, and affective computing. His research focuses on statistical and nonlinear biomedical signal and image processing , cardiovascular and neural modeling , and physiologically interpretable artificial intelligence . He develops wearable systems for physiological monitoring, with applications in autonomic nervous system assessment, brain-heart interactions, and mental health. His work has led to novel metrics such as the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic activity indices derived from ECG. The 15 most recent publications reflect a consistent trend in brain-heart interplay , complexity analysis of physiological signals , explainable AI in healthcare , and virtual reality applications in mental health . His work integrates advanced signal processing, nonlinear dynamics, and machine learning to decode emotional and cognitive states from physiological data. Dr. Valenza is a Senior Member of IEEE and serves on several technical committees. He is an active editorial leader, currently serving as Associate Editor for IEEE-EMBC , Plos One , Complexity , and Scientific Reports , and has guest-edited special issues in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A and IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics . He has led or participated in numerous international research projects, including FP7 and H2020 initiatives such as NEVERMIND and EXPERIENCE. He teaches courses in Biostatistics, Probability & Biostatistics, and Advanced Image Processing at the University of Pisa. As lab head and project coordinator, he leads a multidisciplinary team working on neuro-cardiovascular intelligence, wearable systems, and AI-driven mental health interventions.
