John Jonides, an innovative architect of modern cognitive neuroscience, has been selected as the University of Michigan’s 2027 Henry Russel Lecturer.
The lectureship was announced at the June 25 Board of Regents meeting. Jonides will deliver his lecture in the winter term of 2027.
The Henry Russel Lectureship is the university’s highest honor for senior members of its active faculty. It is awarded annually to a faculty member with exceptional achievements in research, scholarship or creative endeavors, as well as an outstanding record of distinguished teaching, mentoring and service to U-M and the wider community.
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Jonides is the Edward E. Smith Distinguished University Professor of psychology and neuroscience, and professor of radiology in the Medical School. His work illuminates how the mind supports attention, working memory, and cognitive control — core capacities that underlie learning, decision-making, and everyday functioning.
An early leader in the use of human brain imaging to address foundational questions about cognition, Jonides helped move the field beyond simply locating functions in the brain to building psychologically rich, mechanistic models of how cognitive processes are implemented in neural systems.
His scholarship has shaped both basic science and translational research that addresses pressing challenges in education, mental health, and the management of cognitive aging.
