Joseph Kable is the Jean-Marie Kneeley President's Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Psychology within the School of Arts and Sciences. His research integrates experimental economics, cognitive neuroscience, and personality psychology to investigate the neural and psychological mechanisms underlying decision-making. He explores how subjective value is represented in the brain, deviations from rational choice theory, and individual differences in decision processes. His lab employs fMRI and interdisciplinary methods to study topics like risk tolerance, impulsivity, and neural plasticity. Education: BS in Chemistry from Emory University (undergraduate), PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania (doctoral). Research focuses on behavioral and cognitive neuroscience mechanisms of choice, including studies on temporal predictions, value signals, and brain structure-function relationships. His recent work examines how neural markers correlate with decision-making variability across individuals. He currently advises graduate students in Psychology and has post-doctoral researchers in his lab. Associated with MindCORE, Penn's hub for integrative mind research. Lab activities include undergraduate research programs and active studies exploring decision neuroscience and neuroeconomics.
Joe Kable, PhD, serves as the Baird Term Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, where his research investigates the neurophysiological basis of human decision-making through integrative approaches from experimental economics, cognitive neuroscience, and judgment psychology. His laboratory specializes in fMRI studies examining how subjective value representations guide choices involving immediate versus delayed rewards. Education: B.S. in Chemistry, Emory University PhD in Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Dr. Kable's research program centers on neural mechanisms of temporal discounting, risk assessment, and individual differences in choice behavior. His work demonstrates how socioeconomic status, aging, and clinical conditions modulate decision processes, with particular emphasis on hippocampal-prefrontal interactions during value computation. Recent studies reveal how time perception alterations affect neural activity in reward circuits and how social factors influence trust decisions across the lifespan. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications shows a strong methodological focus on fMRI and lesion studies, with growing clinical translation in depression, addiction, and dementia. Key thematic trends include the neural encoding of effort costs in social contexts, structural brain markers for impulsivity, and the dissociable roles of frontal subregions in persistence behaviors. His work consistently bridges basic decision neuroscience with real-world applications in mental health. Scientific Awards: No scientific awards mentioned in source material Dr. Kable leads an active research laboratory at Penn but the source text provides no details about graduate student advising or specific grant funding. His publications indicate collaboration with clinical researchers at the Penn Memory Center, particularly in aging-related decision studies. The laboratory employs multimodal neuroimaging techniques including resting-state fMRI, TMS, and lesion mapping to investigate decision circuits, with recent work extending to computational modeling of value representation and social cognition mechanisms.
Jeffrey Schall is a Full Professor of Biology and Program Director of the Visual Neurophysiology Centre at York University. He holds the Canada Research Chair in Translating Neuroscience. His research focuses on neural mechanisms underlying behavior, integrating neurophysiological and computational approaches across multiple scales. Schall is a core member of the Centre for Vision Research and the Canada First Research Excellence Fund Connected Minds initiative. Education: PhD in Anatomy (University of Utah School of Medicine, 1986), postdoctoral training at MIT. Awards include the Troland Research Award, Sloan Foundation Fellowship, and AAAS Fellowship. He served as Vision Science Society President in 2019. Research interests include visual attention, executive control, error monitoring, and translational neuroscience applications in law. His work bridges basic science with applied studies in clinical populations like schizophrenia patients. Collaborative projects involve EEG/MEG analysis, cortical microcircuitry modeling, and neuromodulation techniques. Teaching: YU_NRSC 2100 Systems, Behavioral, and Cognitive Neuroscience. Active in interdisciplinary initiatives linking neuroscience with legal systems through scholarship and policy engagement.
David Melcher is Professor of Psychology and Program Head in Psychology at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), where he also serves as a Global Network Professor. He is affiliated with the Division of Science and leads the Perception and Active Cognition Lab, focusing on the integration of perception, attention, memory, and action within a cognitive neuroscience framework. PhD in Psychology and Cognitive Science, Rutgers University (2001) Former researcher and professor in Italy and the UK Current leadership: Program Head, Psychology, NYUAD David Melcher's research centers on cognitive neuroscience , particularly how perception, attention, working memory, eye movements, and self-motion interact to shape cognition and behavior. His lab emphasizes active cognition —the idea that perception is not passive but dynamically shaped by action, context, and goals. He investigates how temporal dynamics in neural processing organize perceptual experiences and guide decision-making. His work spans both healthy and clinical populations, exploring individual differences in spatial and temporal processing across the lifespan. The 15 most recent publications reflect a consistent focus on temporal organization in cognition , perception-action coupling , and neural mechanisms of attention and memory . Keywords across these works include cognitive neuroscience, perception, and neuroimaging, with subfields ranging from eye movement research and neural synchrony to computational modeling and clinical neuropsychology. Collectively, they demonstrate a trajectory toward integrative models of brain function that bridge behavioral, neuroimaging, and computational approaches. Among his notable recognitions is the Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology from the American Psychological Association (2011), highlighting the early impact of his work in cognitive neuroscience. Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology, APA (2011) David Melcher has advised numerous students through capstone projects in psychology and computer science, fostering interdisciplinary research at the intersection of cognitive science and technology. His research has been generously supported by major funding agencies including the European Research Council , the US National Institutes of Health , the Italian Ministry of Research and Education , and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Expert Affairs . He also contributes to the academic community as a member of the editorial boards of Journal of Vision , Psychonomic Bulletin & Review , Perception , and iPerception . He leads the Perception and Active Cognition Lab at NYUAD, which employs a multidisciplinary approach combining behavioral experiments, neuroimaging (fMRI, EEG, MEG), eye-tracking, computational modeling, and clinical assessments. The lab’s research aims to understand how the brain constructs stable percepts from dynamic sensory input, particularly during active engagement with the environment.
Dr. Naseem Choudhury is a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Ramapo College of New Jersey, affiliated with the School of Social Science and Human Services (SSHS). She holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Vermont. Her research focuses on the neural basis of infant information processing, particularly how perceptual abilities influence typical and atypical development, with an emphasis on familial and sociocultural factors. Her work spans auditory processing in infants at risk for developmental language disorders, electrophysiological studies in children with autism, and cross-cultural analyses of artistic perception. She directs the Palestroni Integrated Neuroscience Lab, exploring neural mechanisms underlying cognitive development. Dr. Choudhury has published extensively in journals like Journal of Neuroscience and Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience , with over 50 peer-reviewed articles since 2002. Her studies often involve ERP and EEG methodologies to track developmental milestones and intervention efficacy in high-risk populations. Her research demonstrates that early auditory experiences shape prelinguistic acoustic mapping and that neuroplasticity interventions improve outcomes for language-impaired children. She collaborates internationally on projects linking sensory perception to linguistic outcomes, particularly in Italian and bilingual populations. Dr. Choudhury’s contributions bridge basic neuroscience and clinical applications, emphasizing early screening and preventive strategies for developmental disorders.
Behnaam Aazhang is the J.S. Abercrombie Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University and Director of the Rice Neuroengineering Initiative (NEI). He holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His roles include leading the multi-university Rice Neuroengineering Initiative and directing the Center for Neuroengineering. He has held an Academy of Finland Distinguished Visiting Professorship (FiDiPro) at the University of Oulu (2006-2014) and received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Oulu in 2017. Education: Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1986) M.S. in Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1983) B.S. in Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1981) Research Interests: Dr. Aazhang’s work focuses on signal/data processing, information theory, and neuroengineering applications. Key areas include: Neuronal circuit connectivity and learning impacts Real-time closed-loop neuromodulation for neurological disorders (epilepsy, Parkinson’s, depression) Patient-specific cardiac pacing systems Cybersecurity in cloud computing Awards & Honors: 2022 Rice Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Advisor Award 2019 SIGMOBILE Test of Time Award 2017 Honorary Doctorate (University of Oulu) 2013 IEEE Communication Society Advances in Communication Award AAAS and IEEE Fellowships (2012 and 1999) Grants & Advising: His research is supported by multi-university collaborations and grants. He has advised numerous graduate students in electrical engineering and neuroengineering, though specific names are not listed here. Labs & Teams: Leads the Aazhang Lab and the Rice Neuroengineering Initiative, focusing on translational technologies for neurological and cardiac disorders, including non-invasive neuromodulation and cloud security systems.
James Warwick Bisley is a Professor of Neurobiology in the School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). His research focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying visual attention, eye movement control, and spatial processing in the brain. Dr. Bisley has made significant contributions to understanding how the brain guides attention and eye movements during visual search tasks, particularly through his work on the lateral intraparietal area (LIP) and frontal eye field (FEF). Dr. Bisley earned his PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Melbourne in December 1997. His research has been consistently supported by NIH funding, including R01 grants R01EY027968 (2018-2022) and R01EY019273 (2008-2019), where he served as Principal Investigator investigating neural processing in covert attention and the neural mechanisms underlying the guidance of visual attention. His research interests span visual attention, neural remapping, eye movement control, and the neural basis of spatial cognition. Dr. Bisley's work has demonstrated how brain areas like LIP and FEF contribute to visual attention and eye movement planning through the creation of priority maps. His recent publications show an expansion into haptic feedback applications in robotic surgery, demonstrating the translational potential of basic neuroscience research to improve surgical technologies. Dr. Bisley's publication record from 2016-2022 reveals a dual research focus: approximately half of his work continues to explore fundamental mechanisms of visual attention and neural processing, while the other half applies these principles to enhance robotic surgical systems through improved haptic feedback and tactile sensing. This interdisciplinary approach bridges cognitive neuroscience with biomedical engineering to address practical challenges in medical technology. Neural processing in covert attention (NIH R01EY027968, 2018-2022) The Neural Mechanisms Underlying the Guidance of Visual Attention (NIH R01EY019273, 2008-2019) Dr. Bisley has established himself as a leading researcher in visual neuroscience, with numerous highly cited publications in top journals including Journal of Neuroscience, Cerebral Cortex, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. His collaborative work spans multiple disciplines, connecting basic neuroscience with engineering applications to create innovative solutions for medical challenges.
Markus Heilig is a Professor of Psychiatry and Head of the Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (BKV) at Linköping University. He serves as Director of the Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience (CSAN), integrating basic and clinical neuroscience to address addictive and affective disorders. His work bridges neuropharmacology, molecular psychiatry, and clinical trials. Linköping University (Current) Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience (CSAN) (Director) Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine (Collaborator) His research focuses on alcohol dependence mechanisms, stress-neurotransmitter interactions (e.g., CRF, substance P, endocannabinoids), and personalized medicine approaches. Using animal models and human neuroimaging (fMRI), his lab explores epigenetic changes in frontal lobe and amygdala neurons that drive compulsive alcohol use. Recent publications highlight his work on endocannabinoid modulation for PTSD treatment, neural correlates of reward choices, and pharmacological interventions targeting GABA and opioid receptors. His studies often combine brain imaging, behavioral analysis, and pharmacology. Scientific awards include the 2019 Wallenberg Clinical Scholar grant and 2017 CAN/Nordic Drugs prizes. Heilig's research is supported by Vetenskapsrådet (SEK 57 million center funding) and international donations like the Andrew J. Bock Memorial Fund.
John P. Spencer is a Professor of Psychology at the University of East Anglia , UK, and a member of its School of Psychology . He previously served as a Professor of Psychology and founding Director of the Delta Center at the University of Iowa. His research focuses on the development of executive function, working memory, attention, and word learning, with a pioneering emphasis on dynamical systems theory and dynamic neural field models of cognition and action. Sc.B. with Honors, Brown University (1991) Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology, Indiana University (1998) His work utilizes fMRI , fNIRS , and eye-tracking to explore neural-cognitive dynamics in infancy and childhood, particularly in low-resource settings. Recent articles highlight cross-situational word learning, air quality impacts on cognition, and brain network myelination studies. Scientific awards include: 2003 Early Research Contributions Award (Society for Research in Child Development) 2006 Robert L. Fantz Memorial Award (American Psychological Foundation) APA Fellow since 2007 Current projects include brain imaging centers, infant cognition in India, and theoretical advancements in dynamic systems. He leads the Developmental Dynamics Lab and collaborates with institutions worldwide.
Rishidev Chaudhuri is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Davis in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior within the College of Biological Sciences. His research focuses on computational neuroscience and neural dynamics, employing mathematical models to investigate how neural circuits generate cognitive processes such as memory, perception, and decision-making. His work explores neural dynamics through models of memory systems, attentional mechanisms, and probabilistic inference. Recent publications highlight advances in understanding hippocampal memory scaffolds, parietal-frontal interactions, and neuromorphic computing inspired by brain architecture. Education: BA in Physics (Amherst College), PhD in Applied Mathematics (Yale University) Centers: Center for Neuroscience; affiliated with Applied Mathematics and Neuroscience Graduate Groups Scientific awards and honors are not explicitly mentioned in the provided materials.
Karin Roelofs is Professor of Experimental Psychopathology at the Behavioural Science Institute (BSI) and Principal Investigator at the Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour at Radboud University Nijmegen. She chairs the PI-group "Affective Neuroscience" and holds the chair in Experimental Psychopathology. Her research focuses on psychological and neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying social-motivational behavior in both healthy individuals and patients with stress-related and social-motivational disorders such as social anxiety and aggression. She employs various brain imaging techniques (fMRI, MEG) combined with neural stimulation (TUS, tACS) or pharmacological interventions during emotion control and decision making tasks. Her work investigates how stress influences the neural development of emotion control through longitudinal studies including the Nijmegen Longitudinal Study (NLS), BIBO, and the Police In-Action (PIA) cohort. Her key research questions address how people regulate emotional actions, whether emotion control can be improved by influencing brain activity or through real-time biofeedback, and whether psychopathology can be predicted based on acute stress reactions and recovery patterns. Her publications span high-impact journals including Nature Communications, Nature Human Behaviour, and Nature Reviews Neuroscience, demonstrating her leadership in understanding the neural basis of emotion regulation and stress responses. ERC Advanced Grant (2025) ERC Consolidator Grant (2017) ERC Starting Grant (2012) NWO VICI, VIDI, and VENI grants Elected Member of Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Elected Member of Academia Europaea Professor Roelofs has secured numerous significant grants including the HEART2ADAPT project (2019-2025, ERC-AdG), PIA: Police In-action longitudinal study (2015-2021), and DYNAMORE: Dynamic modelling of resilience (2017-2025). She serves on multiple boards including ALLEA (All European Academies), the Selection committee for the ERC Advanced Grant, and as Board Member of INTRESA (International Resilience Research Alliance). She is also a registered GZ psychologist (BIG) and cognitive behavioral therapist (VCGT), bridging clinical practice with cutting-edge neuroscience research.
Kep Kee Loh is a Senior Tutor in the Department of Psychology at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Currently, he also holds an NUS Overseas Postdoctoral Fellowship position at both the Montreal Neurological Institute (McGill University) and the University of Oxford. His research focuses on comparative primate neuroanatomy, examining what makes the human brain special compared to other primates through multimodal MRI techniques. Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Université Claude Bernard Lyon I (2014-2018) M.Sc. in Cognitive Neuroscience from University College London (2011-2012) B.Soc.Sci. (Hons.) in Psychology from National University of Singapore (2007-2011) Dr. Loh's research primarily investigates the anatomical organization of brains across humans and various primate species including chimpanzees, baboons, and macaques. He employs different magnetic resonance imaging techniques (anatomical, resting-state, diffusion-weighted MRI) to compare brain organization across species, with particular focus on the medial frontal cortex, sulcal anatomy, and the evolution of speech and language in the human brain. His work adopts a multimodal approach to provide an integrative view of what sets human brains apart from other primates. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on comparative neuroanatomy across species, with particular emphasis on primate brain evolution, frontal cortex organization, and language-related neural pathways. The research spans multiple disciplines including neuroscience, cognitive science, and evolutionary biology, with increasing attention to methodological advancements in neuroimaging techniques for cross-species comparisons. NUS Overseas Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021) Institute of Language, Communications and the Brain (ILCB) Postdoctoral Fellowship (2019) Fondation Recherche Médicale (FRM) Fin de Thèse (PhD funding) (2017) BRAIN Student Travel Award, 6th Motivation and Cognitive Control Symposium (2016) Dr. Loh has been involved in numerous collaborative research projects across international institutions, including the French Institute of Health and Medical Research (Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute), Aix-Marseille Université, and currently McGill University and the University of Oxford. His work has received significant recognition with over 1,000 citations for his 33 publications. While specific grant information isn't detailed in the provided text, his postdoctoral fellowships indicate successful competitive funding. Dr. Loh collaborates with several research groups including the Montreal Neurological Institute at McGill University and research teams at the University of Oxford. His work connects with broader initiatives like the collaborative resource platform for non-human primate neuroimaging, indicating participation in larger research networks focused on advancing primate neuroscience through shared resources and methodologies.
Lars Nyberg is a Professor of Neuroscience at Umeå University's Medical Faculty and Director of the Umeå Centre for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI) since 2001. He has held concurrent roles as Guest Professor in Bergen and Oslo, Norway, and led the Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine (WCMM) from 2019. His academic leadership includes directing major initiatives like the EU-funded Lifebrain project (2017–2022) and holding the Torsten & Ragnar Söderberg Research Professorship in Medicine (2012–2017). Education: PhD in Psychology (1993) and Docent (1996) from Umeå University, with postdoctoral training at the Rotman Research Institute, Toronto. His research focuses on neuroimaging techniques (MRI/PET), dopamine systems, working memory, aging, and episodic memory. Key contributions include linking dopamine receptor availability to cognitive decline and demonstrating brain maintenance mechanisms in aging. Research Interests: Neuroimaging of memory systems, dopamine's role in cognition, aging-related brain changes, and cognitive reserve. Grants: EU Horizon 2020 (Lifebrain, €10M), KA Wallenberg Scholarships (2009, 2016), Swedish Research Council funding for COBRA (2013–2017). His awards include Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences membership (2008), Mångbergs Prize in Neural Sciences (2008), and multiple Wallenberg grants. Nyberg has supervised 27 PhD students and 11 postdocs, advancing translational neuroscience and aging research through interdisciplinary teams at UFBI and WCMM.
Dr. Lauren Emberson (she/her/hers) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Arts. She directs the Baby Learning Lab, which is part of UBC's Early Development Research Group, a consortium focused on infant and child development. Prior to her position at UBC, Dr. Emberson was an Assistant Professor at Princeton University where she co-founded and co-directed the Princeton Baby and Princeton Kid Labs. Education: Postdoctoral Associate, University of Rochester (PI Aslin) Ph.D, Cornell University (PIs Amso, Goldstein, Spivey) B.Sc, University of British Columbia Dr. Emberson's research focuses on learning, perception (audition, vision, crossmodal or multisensory), language development, face/object perception, and attention in infants. She investigates these capacities using behavioral and neuroimaging techniques, particularly fNIRS (functional near infrared spectroscopy), working primarily with very young infants (birth through 1 year) and preterm/premature infants. Her work examines how infants' learning capacities contribute to rapid development of perception in ecological contexts, with implications for understanding how early life experiences affect later outcomes. Analysis of Dr. Emberson's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on infant perception, learning mechanisms, and neuroimaging methodology. Her work increasingly incorporates advanced fNIRS techniques while maintaining focus on fundamental questions about how infants learn from their environment. There's a growing emphasis on individual differences, cross-cultural comparisons, and applications to infants facing developmental challenges. Dr. Emberson serves on the editorial board of Infancy (journal of the International Congress of Infancy Studies) and is a consulting editor for the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience . Her research has been published in top journals including PNAS, Current Biology, Psychological Science, Cognition, Developmental Science, and the Journal of Neuroscience. Dr. Emberson has secured significant research funding from prestigious organizations including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, James S. McDonnell Foundation, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She collaborates with clinicians at BC Women's and Children's Hospitals to understand how different early life experiences impact learning and brain development. Dr. Emberson is currently accepting graduate students into her research program. The Baby Learning Lab, under Dr. Emberson's direction, is part of UBC's Early Developmental Research Group and collaborates with multiple institutions. The lab strives to provide interactive research experiences for infants and families while advancing scientific understanding of early cognitive development. The lab acknowledges that it operates on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people.
Michal Assaf, MD, is a faculty member at the Yale School of Medicine, affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry. His research focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying social-emotional regulation and cognitive deficits in psychiatric disorders, particularly schizophrenia. Utilizing advanced neuroimaging techniques such as functional MRI, Dr. Assaf investigates brain-wide connectivity patterns during naturalistic tasks and electrophysiological markers like frontal alpha asymmetry. His recent work highlights changes in brain connectivity during emotional processing and their relationship to social functioning in schizophrenia. These studies contribute to a deeper understanding of the neurobiological basis of psychiatric conditions and may inform future therapeutic interventions. Dr. Assaf has published original research in high-impact journals such as Cerebral Cortex and Journal of Psychiatric Research in 2025, demonstrating an active research trajectory in clinical and cognitive neuroscience. His work often involves collaborative, multidisciplinary teams across institutions. Research Interests: Functional brain connectivity Neuroimaging in psychiatry Social cognition in schizophrenia fMRI and EEG biomarkers Clinical neuroscience Emotional regulation While no formal mentorship or grant activities are detailed in the available text, his publication record suggests active involvement in funded research and academic collaboration. There is no indication of part-time status, retirement, or former affiliation.
