معرفی
Howard Nusbaum is a Professor in the Psychology Department within the Social Sciences Division at the University of Chicago. His research has focused since 1986 on perceptual learning, attention, and working memory, with significant contributions to understanding speech perception, auditory processing, and more recently, the science of wisdom. His laboratory employs a wide range of methods including high-density EEG, fMRI analysis, auditory brainstem recordings, and sophisticated speech analysis tools.
Education:
- BA in Computer Science and Psychology from Brandeis University (1976)
- PhD in Cognitive Psychology from State University of New York at Buffalo (1981)
- Postdoctoral training in Speech, Hearing, and Sensory Communication from Indiana University (1984)
Nusbaum's research investigates how humans learn and process speech and other auditory information, with particular emphasis on the role of attention, working memory, and sleep in perceptual learning. His laboratory has made groundbreaking contributions, including the first scientific evidence for sleep consolidation of generalized learning, the first behavioral evidence for functional effects of sleep consolidation in songbirds, and the discovery that adults can learn perfect pitch with this learning dependent on working memory capacity. His recent work has expanded to explore the cognitive neuroscience of wisdom, investigating how self-transcendent experiences contribute to wise reasoning.
Nusbaum's publication record demonstrates consistent high-impact research across cognitive neuroscience, with recent work spanning from basic mechanisms of speech perception to broader questions about wisdom and decision-making. His research shows an evolving trajectory from foundational work on perceptual learning and speech processing toward more complex questions about higher cognitive functions and their neural underpinnings, with publications extending into 2025.
Scientific Awards:
- 2018 Stella M. Rowley Professor of Psychology
- 2014 Fellow, The Psychonomic Society
- 2012 Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
- 2009 Fellow, Association for Psychological Science
- 2007 Future Faculty Mentorship Award
Nusbaum has successfully mentored numerous graduate students and postdoctoral trainees who have gone on to become tenured faculty at prestigious institutions worldwide. His NIH-funded research on 'Structure and Process in Speech Perception' has supported his work for many years. His laboratory provides comprehensive training in behavioral research methods, signal processing, statistical analysis, human electrophysiology, and computational modeling.
The APEX (Attention, Perception, and Executive-function eXperience) lab at the University of Chicago, which Nusbaum directs, is equipped for high-density EEG measurements, fMRI data analysis, auditory brainstem recordings, and a wide range of speech analysis tools. The lab conducts research with human participants, including nap studies with polysomnography. Nusbaum also contributes to the UChicago Center for Practical Wisdom, reflecting his expanding research interests into the cognitive neuroscience of wisdom.
