معرفی
Joseph M. Orr is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Texas A&M University, where he has served since 2015. He is also a Training Faculty at the Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience (2016–present) and currently holds the position of Associate Department Head. His research focuses on the psychological and neural mechanisms of executive functions, particularly how humans adapt to environmental and goal changes through cognitive flexibility, task switching, and reward-driven behavior.
- Education: Ph.D. in Psychology (2011), University of Michigan, advised by Daniel Weissman and William Gehring.
- Research Themes: Executive function, cognitive flexibility, reward processing, fatigue, dopamine, addiction, psychosis, and spatial cognition in altered gravitational environments.
Dr. Orr leads the Cognitive Neuroscience of Goals and Actions Laboratory (CONGAlab), which employs behavioral approaches, computational modeling, non-invasive brain stimulation, pupillometry, and neuroimaging (MRI, EEG/ERP). His work has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF 1928695), Texas A&M Triads for Transformation, and NIH grants. He has contributed to understanding task-set inertia, reconfiguration, and goal-directed behavior through over 45 peer-reviewed publications.
Scientific Awards:
- Fellow, Psychonomic Society (2019–present)
- Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NIH F32DA034412)
- APA Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity Grant
Research Trends: Analysis of cognitive flexibility mechanisms, impact of reward and feedback on task switching, neuroimaging of psychosis risk populations, and applications of brain stimulation techniques. Key subfields include voluntary task selection, dopamine modulation, non-invasive brain stimulation, and adaptive spatial cognition interfaces.
Service & Leadership: Served on promotion/tenure committees, strategic planning, and the institute's Membership Committee. Organized the ARMADILLO Southwest Regional Conference and contributed to curriculum development and diversity initiatives.
