Martha J. Farah, PhD, Center Director
Dr. Martha Farah is Walter H. Annenberg Professor of Natural Sciences in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and founding Director of Penn’s Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. Her current research focuses on the effects of childhood poverty on brain development, and ethical issues emerging from advances in the neuroscience of cognition and emotion. She has published over 150 peer-reviewed journal articles and 6 books, including  Neuroethics: An Introduction with Readings to be published by MIT Press.

Geoffrey K. Aguirre, MD, PhD, Associate Director
Dr. Geoff Aguirre is Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania.  He is both a Neurologist and cognitive neuroscientists whose clinical and research work concerns the organization of the brain for mental operations, in particular the loss and recovery of visual ability.

Stephen Morse, JD, PhD, Associate Director
Dr. Stephen Morse is the Ferdinand Wakeman Hubbell Professor of Law and a Professor of Psychology and Law in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a renowned expert in criminal and mental health law, whose work emphasizes individual responsibility in criminal and civil law. Professionally trained in both law and psychology at Harvard, Morse has written for law reviews, journals of psychology and psychiatry and edited collections, and he has contributed numerous op-ed articles. He is currently Co-Director of the MacArthur Foundation Project on Law and Neuroscience.

Joe Powers, PhD, MBA, Executive Director
Dr. Joe Powers is Managing Director, Neuroscience Initiatives, in the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, where he has responsibility consulting on the Penn’s overarching strategy for neuroscience research and education.  Prior to his career in academia, he spent nearly a decade in a variety of business, strategy, and marketing roles within the pharmaceutical industry, where he has developed an expertise in product launches.  He has been involved in launching psychotropics and psychiatric services around the world in therapeutic areas including schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, addiction, Alzheimers’, and anxiety disorders. He has also worked for and developed non-profit organizations aimed at improving patient care.

Denise Clegg, MAPP, Director, Programs and Operations
Denise Clegg has over 15 years executive management experience with expertise in organizational and funding development. Her work has focused on advancing policies, programs, and research with a positive social impact in the not-for-profit and academic sectors. Prior to joining the CNS, Denise most recently launched and directed the Positive Neuroscience Project at the University of Pennsylvania. She also serves as a member of the Penn Resilience Program training team.

Anjan Chatterjee, MD, CME Course Director
Dr. Anjan Chatterjee is a practicing neurologist and Professor in the Department of Neurology and Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on human cognition, especially language, aesthetics, and visual-spatial cognition. In his 2004 Neurology article on “cosmetic neurology” he sounded the first call for physicians to consider the ethics of brain enhancement, and has continued as a leader on the clinical side of neuroethics. Dr. Chatterjee is a member of the Committee on Ethics, Law and Humanities Committee of the American Academy of Neurology.

Staff

Cayce Hook, Manager, Student Programs
Cayce Hook joined the Center for Neuroscience & Society and the Farah Lab after graduating from Penn with a B.A. in cognitive science. She is currently assisting with studies examining the effects of poverty on neurocognitive development, and investigating public understanding of brain research, particularly as it relates to educational issues.  At the CNS, Cayce works to foster relationships between students and faculty through coordinating undergraduate research opportunities, graduate talks, and preceptorials.