WashU cognitive neuroscientist Todd Braver has been elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences, joining 251 other newly recognized leaders in academia, the arts, industry, journalism, philanthropy, policy, research and science.
Founded in 1780, the academy honors exceptional scholars, leaders, artists and innovators and engages them in sharing knowledge and addressing challenges facing the world. The academy announced the 2026 members April 22.
Braver is the William R. Stuckenberg Professor in Human Values and Moral Development and a professor of psychological and brain sciences in WashU Art & Sciences, as well as a professor of radiology and of neuroscience at WashU Medicine.
Braver joins other prominent WashU scholars who have been elected to the academy, including Chancellor Andrew D. Martin; former Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences colleagues Deanna M. Barch, Henry L. "Roddy" Roediger III and Jeffrey M. Zacks; and many others from across both the Danforth and Medical campuses who have been elected in recent years.
Braver investigates attention, working memory and cognitive control. His team and laboratory studies how humans exert control over their thoughts and behavior, and how this control can break down.
Using research methods including behavioral analysis, functional neuroimaging and computational modeling, Braver explores how loss of cognitive control plays into neuropsychiatric disorders, and what underlying pathophysiology gives rise to such control deficits. He also is interested in individual differences in these abilities and how they interact with affect and motivation. A current line of research examines how mindfulness training impacts cognitive control and psychological function, using behavioral and brain imaging measures as well as naturalistic assessments.
