From Birds to Brains: Nancy Kanwisher Reflects on Her Winding Path to Neuroscience Discovery
Key Takeaways
- ▸Kanwisher's early exposure to field science through her father's work at Woods Hole provided formative experiences in experimental design and biological inquiry
- ▸A shift from biology to cognitive psychology at MIT marked a crucial turning point, where she learned to make powerful inferences about the mind from behavioral data
- ▸The emergence of noninvasive brain imaging techniques during her graduate studies opened new methodological possibilities for investigating visual cortex function
Summary
In a personal essay, renowned neuroscientist Nancy Kanwisher recounts her unconventional journey from studying diving bird physiology in Woods Hole, Massachusetts to becoming a leading researcher in cognitive neuroscience and the discovery of the fusiform face area. Growing up in a scientific community where access to research was abundant, Kanwisher's early work co-authored with her father and his colleague examined diving behavior in cormorants, challenging prevailing assumptions about physiological responses to submersion. Her path took her from MIT's biology program—where she struggled initially—to the MIT Psychology Department under the mentorship of Molly Potter, a cognitive psychologist who shaped her approach to understanding the mind through behavioral inference and eventually brain imaging. Kanwisher's story illustrates how serendipity, mentorship, and intellectual curiosity can guide a scientist toward groundbreaking discoveries in understanding how the brain processes visual information.
- Mentorship from cognitive psychologist Molly Potter was instrumental in redirecting Kanwisher's career path toward cognitive neuroscience
