Scott A. Huettel

Scott A. Huettel is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University, where he also serves as Senior Associate Dean for Research in Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. He holds additional appointments as Professor of Neurobiology and Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. As a Bass Fellow, Huettel leads research in decision neuroscience and neuroeconomics, with affiliations spanning multiple Duke research centers including the Center for Brain Imaging and Analysis, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, and Center for Cognitive Neuroscience.

Huettel's research focuses on the brain mechanisms underlying economic and social decision making. His laboratory uses fMRI to probe brain function, behavioral assays to characterize individual differences, and various physiological methods including eye tracking, pharmacological manipulation, and genetics to link brain and behavior. His work has advanced new analysis methods for fMRI data, including functional connectivity analyses, pattern classification, and combinatoric multivariate approaches. His research spans applications in behavioral economics, consumer decision making, and neuroethics.

Huettel's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on social decision making, risk assessment, and the neural mechanisms of economic choices. His work increasingly integrates computational approaches with traditional neuroimaging to better understand how people process information during decision making. His research has significant implications for understanding financial behavior, health decisions, and social interactions across the lifespan.

• Education in Neuroimaging Award from the Organization for Human Brain Mapping (2021)
• 2014 Innovation Award from the Social and Affective Neuroscience Society (2013)
• Bass Fellow for Excellence in Research and Teaching (2012)
• Jerry G. and Patricia Crawford Hubbard Professorship at Duke University (2012)
• Top 5% undergraduate instructor in Arts & Sciences at Duke (2010)
• Dean's Award for Excellence in Mentoring from Duke University Graduate School (2010)

Huettel actively mentors students and has trained numerous postdoctoral and graduate researchers who now lead their own laboratories. He is lead author of the textbook Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (3rd edition, 2014) and teaches courses including Fundamentals of Decision Science, Decision Neuroscience, and Neuroethics. His research is supported by multiple grants from NIH and other funding agencies, focusing on mechanisms of social behavior, aging, and neuroimaging technology development.

Huettel directs a productive research laboratory that integrates multiple methodologies to investigate decision processes. His team combines fMRI, eye tracking, behavioral testing, and computational modeling to examine how people make economic and social choices. The lab has made significant contributions to understanding how attention, risk, and social context influence decision making across different populations including adolescents, older adults, and clinical populations.