Donald J. Bolger

Donald J. Bolger serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology within the College of Education at the University of Maryland, with additional affiliation to the Brain and Behavior Institute. His research integrates cognitive, neurobiological, and educational perspectives to investigate learning mechanisms and disorders.

Dr. Bolger received his Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and completed postdoctoral training in Neuroscience at Northwestern University, establishing his foundation in multimodal neuroimaging approaches.

His primary research examines the neurocognitive substrates of reading acquisition and impairment across writing systems (English, Chinese, Korean), emphasizing how biological factors interact with environmental input to influence learning outcomes. Additional investigations explore executive function, working memory in ADHD, and emotional language processing in autism spectrum disorder. Methodologically, he combines fMRI, ERP, MEG, and behavioral paradigms in school-based and laboratory settings to translate basic findings into educational interventions.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2024-2019) reveals consistent focus on semantic processing mechanisms, cross-linguistic reading development, and neural plasticity through cognitive training. Key trends include ERP component analysis for language comprehension, visual word form area adaptations across writing systems, and emotional modulation of cognitive control in clinical populations—demonstrating his commitment to bridging neuroscience and educational practice.

No specific scientific awards or major honors were documented in the provided materials.

As faculty member, Dr. Bolger mentors graduate students in the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology. His research has received institutional support including MPower seed grants for neuroscience and aging initiatives, though specific grant awards were not detailed. His school-based collaborations focus on developing evidence-based reading interventions for diverse learners.

He directs the Laboratory for the Neural Bases of Reading and Language (LNRL), which maintains active partnerships with the Brain and Behavior Institute. The LNRL conducts cutting-edge research on reading development and disorders using combined neuroimaging and behavioral methodologies, with recent projects spanning multiple languages and clinical populations to address fundamental questions about learning mechanisms.