Brian Wandell

Who is Brian Wandell?

Brian A. Wandell is the Isaac and Madeline Stein Family Professor at Stanford University, where he was a former Chair of the Psychology Department.

His work in visual neuroscience uses both functional MRI and computational modeling to understand the action of the visual portions of the brain. His laboratory has worked to develop methods for identifying and measuring visual field maps in visual cortex. Recently, he and members of the laboratory have measured the reorganization of maps and cortical function following brain injury.

The Wandell lab is also studying human brain development. Specifically, they are measuring the responses in visual cortex of children, aged 8–12, as the children become skilled readers. He and his group are hoping to understand how visual signals and structures must develop to permit rapid, skilled reading. This work includes an array of techniques, including, diffusion tensor imaging, anatomical imaging, and behavioral testing.

Wandell authored the vision science textbook Foundations of Vision. Wandell has won various academic honors, and he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2003.