From functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans, we can estimate an individual’s fluid intelligence, ability to focus, executive function, and memory skills. We can predict developmental trajectories and detect dysfunction such as attention deficits and memory problems; other labs use our methods to study clinical conditions such as autism, depression, and anxiety. fMRI can decode brain activity and predict behavior with increasing power and sophistication.

About the speaker: Marvin M. Chun is the Richard M. Colgate Professor of Psychology at Yale University, with secondary appointments in the Cognitive Science Program and the Yale School of Medicine Department of Neuroscience. He is also a member of the Wu Tsai Institute at Yale. Professor Chun received his B.A. in Psychology from Yonsei University (South Korea), Ph.D. in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his postdoctoral training at Harvard University. His research has been honored with a Troland Award from the US National Academy of Sciences, an early-career award from the American Psychological Association, and a Ho-Am Science Prize from Samsung (South Korea). His teaching has been recognized with both the Lex Hixon ’63 Prize for Teaching Excellence in the Social Sciences and the Phi Beta Kappa William Clyde DeVane Medal for Distinguished Scholarship and Teaching in Yale College.

The talk will be followed by a reception with light refreshments.