Dietrich Stout

Dietrich Stout is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Anthropology at Emory University, serving as Director of the CMBC. He holds a Ph.D. in Paleoanthropology from Indiana University, Bloomington (2003), where he was advised by Nicholas Toth and Kathy Schick. Before joining Emory in 2009, he served as a Visiting Assistant Professor at George Washington University (1 year) and a Lecturer in Paleolithic Archaeology at University College London (4 years). His research focuses on the evolution of human cognition through the study of Paleolithic stone tool-making, integrating archaeological fieldwork, experimental tool replication, and neuroimaging techniques. Collaborative projects include the Homo faber: The Language of Technology (NSF & Templeton Foundation-funded) and the Gona Paleoanthropological Research Project in Ethiopia.

Key research themes involve exploring the neural foundations of tool-making, comparing human and chimpanzee brain structures, and investigating the relationship between language, technology, and brain evolution. The Paleolithic Technology Laboratory at Emory supports experimental flintknapping, 3D scanning, and advanced neuroimaging collaborations. Stout's work has been featured in major publications like Science and Scientific American, as well as in Emory's Research Spotlight Video on 'Stone Tools and the Evolution of Cognition.'

He advises graduate student Megan Beney and collaborates with a global network of institutions, including the Yerkes National Primate Research Center and the British Museum. His research lab employs cutting-edge technologies such as fMRI, DTI, and PET imaging to study the evolutionary neuroscience of cultural evolution.