Luiz Pessoa

Luiz Pessoa is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Maryland's College of Behavioral and Social Sciences and serves as the inaugural Director of the Maryland Neuroimaging Center (MNC). In this role, he provides scientific leadership for brain imaging research, fosters interdisciplinary collaboration across neuroscience, psychology, engineering, and physics, and advances cutting-edge fMRI methodologies. The MNC focuses on understanding neural plasticity, brain development, and expert abilities relevant to national priorities.

Pessoa's research examines the interplay between cognitive, emotional, and motivational processes in the human brain, with emphasis on:

• Developing quantitative fMRI analysis techniques to decode brain dynamics
• Mapping large-scale brain networks involved in threat/reward processing
• Integrating emotion and cognition through adaptive neural models
• Promoting anti-localizationist frameworks in neuroscience

His recent publications (2021-2025) demonstrate a strong focus on redefining neural complexity, with recurring themes including:

• Theoretical critiques of localizationist approaches
• Dynamic network organization of emotion-cognition interactions
• Methodological innovations in fMRI analysis and multimodal imaging
• Conceptual models of brain as an entangled, adaptive system

Under Pessoa's leadership, the MNC facilitates cross-disciplinary partnerships to investigate neural mechanisms underlying expert abilities and atypical brain development, leveraging state-of-the-art neuroimaging infrastructure.