Jesse A Rissman

Jesse A Rissman is a Professor in Psychology and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), affiliated with the College of Letters and Science. His research focuses on the neural mechanisms of memory encoding, maintenance, and retrieval, with emphasis on top-down control, contextual influences, and individual differences.

Education:

• ScB in Cognitive Neuroscience from Brown University (2000)
• PhD in Psychology from University of California, Berkeley (2007)
• Postdoctoral Psychology at Stanford University (2011)

Rissman's work integrates advanced neuroimaging (fMRI, DTI) with behavioral paradigms and causal brain stimulation (tDCS) to explore memory processes in healthy adults and clinical populations. He pioneered the use of wearable cameras and virtual reality to enhance ecological validity in memory research.

His 15 most recent publications span topics in cognitive neuroscience, neuroimaging, and virtual reality, with subfields including memory detection, neural decoding, reward-guided cognition, brain stimulation, and clinical applications. Articles from 2024–2018 highlight individual variability, contextual reinstatement, and multivariate analysis techniques.

Scientific Awards:

• Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences (2018)
• Life Sciences Excellence Award in Educational Innovation (2015)
• Distinguished Teaching Award (2014)
• DARPA Young Faculty Award (2013)
• Hellman Fellow (2013)

He directs the Rissman Memory Lab, where he investigates neural networks, brain-computer interfaces, and memory modulation through collaborative projects involving implanted electrodes and immersive environments.