George (Ron) Mangun
Fulbright-University of Birmingham Distinguished Scholar Award (All Disciplines)
George (Ron) Mangun, Ph.D., is Director of the Center for Mind and Brain and Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neurology at the University of California, Davis. He studies human brain mechanisms of perception and attention, and with his team has identified many of the basic brain processes by which humans are able to focus their attention and filter out distracting events. The Fulbright Distinguished Chair Award will allow Mangun to travel to the U.K. to conduct research in the Centre for Human Brain Health (CHBH) and School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham. The CHBH is home to a leading group of scientists using brain scanning and recording methods to study the nature of human cognition. The CHBH houses advanced equipment for measuring tiny magnetic signals produced by active brain cells in the living, thinking human brain. By measuring these magnetic signals, Mangun will investigate the biological bases of free will.