Hakwan Lau, a distinguished scholar bridging philosophy and cognitive science, will co-lead the Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research (CNIR) at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) alongside Director Sung-ki Kim.

Professor Lau, who also holds a faculty position in Sungkyunkwan University’s Global Biomedical Engineering Department, officially assumed the role of Co-Director on September 1, 2024.

With a Ph.D. from Oxford University, Lau previously served as a professor at Columbia University and UCLA before becoming a team leader at the RIKEN Brain Science Center in Japan in 2021.

Lau is widely recognized for his groundbreaking research that integrates psychology and neuroscience. He has achieved over 17,000 citations and an h-index of 64, reflecting his significant influence and contribution to the field.

His academic pursuits over the past two decades are exemplified in his 2022 book, In Consciousness We Trust, which proposes an innovative theory of conscious perception through the collaboration of experimental and theoretical approaches.

More recently, Lau has garnered attention for his research on whether machines, such as AI, can possess consciousness (Science, 2017) and for developing computational methodologies to assess metacognitive abilities. These accomplishments have earned him prestigious awards, including the William James Award (2005) and the Janet Taylor Spence Award (2012).

At CNIR, Lau aims to explore fundamental questions about why humans perceive the world differently from other animals. His research will focus on the prefrontal cortex—a uniquely developed region of the human brain—and its role in perception. Lau plans to combine non-invasive experimental methods suitable for humans with cutting-edge techniques applied to animal models, such as rodents, to advance this work.

“Joining CNIR was an easy decision, given the team’s world-renowned expertise in MRI physics under Director Kim’s leadership,” Lau said. “With the group’s advanced neuroimaging techniques and methodologies, we are well-equipped to tackle the big questions in basic neuroscience.”

Lau expressed his commitment to leveraging the center’s capabilities to address major challenges in the field, contributing to a deeper understanding of the brain’s intricate workings.

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