Michael Pitts

Michael Pitts is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Reed College, affiliated with the Division of Philosophy, Religion, Psychology, and Linguistics. He holds a Ph.D. from Colorado State University (2007) and completed postdoctoral training at UC San Diego's Institute for Neural Computation. His research focuses on the neural substrates of consciousness, employing EEG and behavioral techniques to study conscious vs. unconscious processing. Pitts co-leads the SCALP Lab with Enriqueta Canseco-Gonzalez, investigating sensation, cognition, and language processing. His teaching includes courses on cognitive neuroscience, attention, and consciousness research.

Key research interests include electrophysiological correlates of awareness, attention mechanisms, and no-report paradigms. Recent grants include a Kavli Institute Innovative Research Grant (2010-2011) and postdoctoral training support from UCSD. His work has appeared in top journals like Science, Current Biology, and NeuroImage. Pitts collaborates internationally on adversarial testing of consciousness theories and maintains active participation in open science initiatives.

Lab activities utilize 64-channel EEG systems to explore visual/auditory perception. Notable contributions include identifying the 'perceptual awareness negativity' ERP marker and advancing methodologies for isolating neural correlates of consciousness. Office hours are appointment-based via scheduling tools.