David Van Essen

David Van Essen is the Alumni Endowed Professor of Neuroscience at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. His primary affiliation is with the Department of Neuroscience within the School of Medicine. He is renowned for his leadership in the Human Connectome Project (HCP), focusing on advanced neuroimaging and brain mapping techniques. His research spans cerebral cortex structure, function, connectivity, and evolution in humans and nonhuman primates.

Education: BS (Honors) in Chemistry from California Institute of Technology (1967), PhD in Neurobiology from Harvard Medical School (1971), followed by postdoctoral research at Harvard and the University of Oslo.

Research Interests: Dr. Van Essen’s work emphasizes neuroimaging innovations, cortical parcellation, and the integration of multimodal data. His lab develops computational tools for brain mapping and neuroinformatics. Key projects include the HCP, studying cortical folding, and analyzing connectivity in human and nonhuman primate brains.

Publications: Over 200 peer-reviewed articles, including seminal works on cortical parcellation, functional connectivity, and neuroimaging methodologies. Recent trends focus on advancing MRI techniques, connectomics, and understanding brain aging.

Awards: Multiple prestigious honors, including membership in the National Academy of Sciences and the Glass Brain Award. Recognized for contributions to neuroscience and neuroimaging.

Labs/Teams: The Van Essen Lab at Washington University, collaborating with global institutions on neuroimaging and connectome projects.