536: Studying Stroke Patients to Understand How the Brain Controls Perception and Action - Dr. Laurel Buxbaum

People Behind the Science Podcast - Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers

Dr. Laurel Buxbaum is Associate Director of the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Director of the Cognition and Action Laboratory, and Research Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University. Laurel’s research examines how the brain controls perception and action. She studies people who have had strokes in particular parts of their brains to uncover where in the brain strokes may cause certain difficulties or impairments. She also uses a wide variety of techniques including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), eye tracking, and electroencephalography to further understand how we perceive and interact with our environment. When she’s not at work, Laurel enjoys reading, taking walks around the beautiful arboretum near her house, attending dance fitness classes at a local studio, spending time with friends, and going out to listen to her husband’s funk band play live music. Laurel received her BA in Biological Bases of Behavior from the University of Pennsylvania and her PhD in Clinical Psychology (with specialization in Neuropsychology) from Hahnemann University. Afterwards, she completed an NIH National Research Service Award Postdoctoral Fellowship at Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute and the University of Pennsylvania. Over the course of her career, Laurel has received numerous awards and honors, including the Kenneth M. Viste Award of the American Society of Neurorehabilitation, the Arthur S. Benton Mid-Career Award of the International Neuropsychological Society, the Widener University Graduate Award for Excellence in Professional Psychology, the Maimonides Society Manuscript Award, and the Cohen Award for Research Excellence from the Einstein Healthcare Network. In our interview Laurel shares more about her life and science.