This event celebrates the dynamic interdisciplinary community of past and present Presidential Scholars in Society and Neuroscience (PSSN), showcasing the program's intellectual and institutional impact at the intersection of neuroscience and society.
 

Through presentations and discussion, past and current Scholars will reflect on how their research projects—guided by faculty mentors across Columbia University’s campuses—have shaped the evolution of the study of mind, brain, and society. Together, they will explore how the unique initiative of the Presidential Scholars in Society and Neuroscience Program has served as a catalyst for groundbreaking work and continues to influence their professional endeavors.

This gathering offers a platform to reconnect with peers, share research and experiences, and strengthen a network of scholars addressing some of society's most pressing challenges. Join us to celebrate the program’s legacy, highlight the achievements of its alumni, and envision the future of interdisciplinary collaboration in neuroscience and beyond.


Event Speakers and Sessions:
 

9:00 AM – 9:15 AM Welcome and Introduction
 

9:15 AM – 10:15 AM Session 1: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Science

Julia Hyland Bruno: TBD

Lan Li: Intention and Initiatives

Ann-Sophie Barwich: Laboratory Phenomenology: On the Pursuit-worthiness of a Philosophical Idea with Experimental Science

Chaired by Carol Mason
 

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Session 2: Neuroscience, Justice, and Mental Health

Federica Coppola: Pursuing Social Justice in Criminal Law through Neuroscience

David Barack: Inquiry, Search, and Foraging

Clare McCormack: Advancing the Neuroscience of Matrescence to Improve Perinatal Mental Health

Chaired by Valerie Purdie-Greenaway

12:15 PM – 1:30 PM: Lunch Break
 

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM Session 3: Culture, Music, and Cognition

Nori Jacoby: Mapping Cross-Cultural Internal Representations in Music

Andrew Goldman: Reflections—and Some Prospection—on Directing a Music Cognition Laboratory

Matthew Sachs: Musical Enjoyment from the Brain to the Phone 

Chaired by Aniruddha Das
 

3:15 PM – 4:15 PM Session 4: Neuroscience and Behavioral Insights

Paul Linton: Four Illusions Challenge Our Understanding of Visual Experience

Nedah Nemati: Strategies for Abstracting Behavior in Neuroscience

Matteo Farinella: Drawing Science Comics

Chaired by Christopher Peacocke
 

Closing Remarks