Lisa Aziz-Zadeh

Lisa Aziz-Zadeh is a Professor at the University of Southern California with joint appointments in the Department of Psychology (USC Dornsife College), the Brain and Creativity Institute, and the Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Her research focuses on understanding how sensorimotor systems underpin higher cognitive functions like social cognition, empathy, and creativity, with a particular emphasis on autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and the gut-brain axis. She directs the USC Center for the Neuroscience of Embodied Cognition (CeNEC).

Her current projects include investigating sensory-motor deficits in ASD, gut microbiome-brain interactions, and the neural basis of embodied semantics. She has secured funding from NIH, DoD, and other institutes. Key research themes involve neuroimaging techniques (MRI/fMRI) to explore motor and sensory processing deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders.

Notable contributions include studies on mirror neuron system dysfunction post-stroke and the role of embodied cognition in language processing. Her work bridges clinical and basic science, addressing both typical and atypical neurodevelopmental pathways. She collaborates with institutions like UC Berkeley and Google to explore existential concepts like 'belonging' and 'otherness' through a neuroscience lens.

Dr. Aziz-Zadeh’s lab (CeNEC) employs multi-method approaches including behavioral studies, neuroimaging, and computational modeling to advance understanding of embodied cognition. Her research has led to over 100 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals, focusing on translational neuroscience and neurorehabilitation strategies.