Birth: | April 18, 1962. Park Ridge, IL. U.S. citizen |
Work: | Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890. Phone: +1-412-268-5145, Fax: -2798, Email: plaut@cmu.edu |
1991 |
Ph.D., Computer Science, Department of Computer Science, Carnegie
Mellon University.
Dissertation: Connectionist Neuropsychology: The Breakdown and Recovery of Behavior in Lesioned Attractor Networks (supervised by Dr. G. Hinton). |
1984 |
B.A., Summa Cum Laude, Cognitive Science and Mathematics,
University of Rochester, Rochester, NY.
Graduated with Highest Distinction in Cognitive Science and Distinction in Mathematics. Senior dissertation: Visual Recognition of Simple Objects by a Connection Network (supervised by Dr. J. Feldman). |
2007- | Professor, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. |
2006 | Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto. |
2003-06 | Professor, Department of Psychology and the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University. |
1999-02 | Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University. |
1995-06 | Secondary appointment, Department of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University. |
1994-99 | Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University. |
1991-94 |
Postdoctoral Research Fellow,
Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University.
Worked with Dr. J. McClelland on connectionist modeling of normal and impaired word reading. |
1990 |
Visiting Researcher,
Departments of Computer Science and Psychology, University of Toronto.
Worked with Prof. T. Shallice developing connectionist models of neuropsychological phenomena. |
1984-85 |
Churchill Scholar,
Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge,
England.
Worked with Prof. O. Braddick on the psychophysics of low-level motion perception. |
2016 | Nu Rho Psi, Carnegie Mellon University. |
2003 | Troland Research Award, National Academy of Sciences. |
2000 | Fulbright Scholarship, Council for International Exchange of Scholars. |
Lady Davis Fellowship, Hebrew University (declined). | |
1997 | FIRST award, National Institutes of Health. |
1985 | R.K. Mellon Fellowship, Carnegie Mellon University. |
1984 | Churchill Scholar, University of Cambridge and the Winston Churchill Foundation. |
1981 | Kodak Scholar, University of Rochester and Eastman Kodak Company. |
1983 | Phi Beta Kappa, University of Rochester. |
1980 | Alumni Regional Scholar, University of Rochester. |
2022-26 |
Reorganization of Visual Function in Patients With Posterior Cortical
Resection: Selectivity and Plasticity NIH (NEI) award R01EY027018 co-Investigator (M. Behrmann, PI), 10% effort, Total direct costs: $1,137,700 |
2021-25 |
Hemispheric and Topographic Neural Organization of High-Level Visual
Representations NSF award BCS-2123069 co-PI (with M. Behrmann), 8% effort, Total direct costs: $521,006 |
2017-21 |
Cognitio Veritas: Scaling the Cognitive Foundations of Online Social Behavior DARPA award HR001117S0018-SocialSim-FP-012 co-PI (M. Orr, PD), 10% effort, Total direct costs: $949,078 |
2017-21 |
Reorganization of Visual Function in Patients With Posterior Cortical
Resection: Selectivity and Plasticity NIH (NEI) award R01EY027018 co-Investigator (M. Behrmann, PI), 10% effort, Total direct costs: $925,000 |
2015-21 |
IBSS: Understanding Social Diffusion Dynamics Among Networked Cognitive Systems NSF award SMA-1520359 co-PI (Mark Orr, PD), 10% effort, Total direct costs: $73,137 |
2014-16 |
A Neurocomputational Investigation of Developmental Visual Recognition
Disorders NSF award BCS-1354350 co-PI (with M. Behrmann), 8% effort, Total direct costs: $299,673 |
2011-13 |
Computational Modeling of Reading Acquisition by Deaf Individuals NSF Science of Learning Center (Visual Language and Visual Learning; L.-A. Petito and T. Allen, co-PDs) Project PI, 11% effort, Total direct costs: $104,594 |
2009-13 |
Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms of Face and Word Processing: Common
Principles NSF award BCS-0923763 co-PI (with M. Behrmann), 17% effort, Total direct costs: $462,423 |
2011-12 |
Computational Modeling of Individual Health Behavior NIH award HD067570 (R21) co-PI (with M. Orr, Columbia), 11% effort, Total direct costs: $262,286 |
2002-08 |
Toward a Neurobiologically Informed Framework for Modeling Human
Cognition NIH award MH64445, Integrated Behavioral Science Center (J. McClelland, PD). PI, 20% effort, Total direct costs: $753,375 Co-PI, 10% effort, Total direct costs: $798,400 Co-PI, 10% effort, Total direct costs: $1,060,969 |
2002-07 |
Modeling Normal and Impaired Lexical Processing NIH award MH55628 PI, 35% effort, Total direct costs: $750,000 |
2000-05 |
A Neuropsychological and Computational Investigation of Past Tense Verb
Processing NSF award BCS-0079044 PI, 10% effort, Total direct costs: $168,731 |
1999-02 |
Research Computing Resource for the CMU/Pitt Center for the Neural
Basis of Cognition NSF award 9977293 Co-PI, 5% effort, Total direct costs: $314,779 |
1996-01 |
Modeling Normal and Impaired Lexical Semantic Processing NIH FIRST award MH55628 PI, 50% effort, Total direct costs: $347,120 |
1997-02 |
Toward a Model of Normal and Disorder Cognition NIH Program Project MH47566 Co-PI, 25% effort, Total direct costs: $596,650 Co-Investigator, 8% effort, Total direct costs: $419,220 |
1997-00 |
Intervention Strategies that Promote Learning: Their Basis and Use in
Enhancing Literacy NSF grant 9720348 Co-PI, 8% effort, Total direct costs: $846,883 |
1996-97 |
Learning in Dynamic Decision-Making Tasks: A Computational and
Empirical Study of Credit Collectors at Citicorp Citicorp Behavioral Sciences Research Council Grant Co-PI, 8% effort, Total direct costs: $90,000 |
1995-96 |
Learning in Dynamic Decision-Making Tasks Citicorp Behavioral Sciences Research Council Grant Co-PI, 8% effort, Total direct costs: $14,200 |
1991-96 |
Toward a Model of Normal and Disorder Cognition NIH Program Project MH47566 Co-Investigator, 30% effort, Total direct costs: $620,000 |
1991-96 |
Connectionist Neuropsychology: Acquired Dyslexia in a Dual-Route
Model of Reading McDonnell-Pew Cognitive Neuroscience Training Grant T89-01245-016 PI, 50% effort, Total direct costs: $102,500 |
1991-94 |
Semantic Representations in Reading NSF Training Grant ASC-9109215 PI, 50% effort, Total direct costs: $36,000 |
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1983-84 |
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1994-present | Introduction to Parallel Distributed Processing, Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University. Upper-level undergradute and graduate course. |
2011-present | Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University. Upper-level undergraduate and graduate course. |
2001 | Foundations of Connectionist Modeling of Cognition. Department of Psychology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem. Graduate seminar. |
1997, 2012, 2015 | The Mind, the Brain, and the Computer. Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University. Freshman seminar. |
1995 | Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University. Mid-level undergraduate course. |
1994 | An Examination of the Relevance of Connectionist Models to Cognitive Neuropsychology (with Dr. J. McClelland), Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University. Upper-level undergradute and graduate seminar. |
1991-present | Guest lecturer, Departments of Psychology and Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University. |
M.S. Students | Field | Completion | Dissertation Title |
Sean McGuire | Psychology | 05/1997 | Systematicity and Specialization in Semantics: A Computational Account of Optic Aphasia |
Jennifer Brace | Psychology | 05/2006 | Clarification and Challenge of a Definition of "Task Set" Based on Task Switching |
Ph.D. Students | Field | Completion | Dissertation Title |
Matt Botvinick | Psychology | 08/2001 | The Regulation of Control: Two Computational Studies |
Doug Rohde | Computer Science | 02/2002 | A Connectionist Model of Sentence Comprehension and Production |
Steve Gotts | Psychology | 08/2002 | Mechanisms Underlying Enhanced Processing Efficiency in Neural Systems |
Christine Watson | Psychology | 09/2009 | Computational and Behavioral Studies of Normal and Impaired Noun/Verb Processing |
Roxanne Thrush | Psychology | 07/2010 | Attachment Biases in Cardiovascular and Behavioral Responses to Stressors |
Blair Armstrong | Psychology | 08/2012 | The Temporal Dynamics of Word Comprehension and Response Selection: Computational and Behavioral Studies |
Robert (Bo) Powers | Psychology | 08/2019 | Connecting Action to Perception Across Development: A Domain-General Account with Empirical and Computational Studies |
Patience Stevens | Psychology | 09/2022 | Morphological Processing During Visual Word Recognition: Mechanisms of Dynamics and Acquisition |
Nick Blauch | Neural Computation | 12/2023 | A Connectivity-Constrained Computational Account of Topographic Organization in High-Level Visual Cortex |
Aida Mirebrahimi | Neural Computation | 05/2028 (est.) | |
Post-Doctoral Research Fellows | Dates | Current Position | |
Chris Kello | 1996-98 | Interim Vice Provost, Graduate Dean, and Professor, University of California, Merced | |
Laura Gonnerman | 1999-01 | Associate Professor, McGill University | |
Mike Harm | 1999-02 | Research Scientist, Google | |
Mark Orr | 2002-04 | Associate Professor, University of Virginia | |
Daisy Powell | 2002-04 | Associate Professor, Institute of Education, University of Reading | |
Sarah Laszlo | 2009-12 | Research Scientist, X company (Google subsidiary) | |
Adrian Nestor | 2009-13 | Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto (Scarborough) | |
Amanda Robinson | 2015-17 | Research Scientist, School of Psychology, University of Sydney | |
Masataka Nakayama | 2016-18 | Research Scientist, Kyoto University | |
Franziska Bröker | 2023-current | ||
Kelly Martin | 2024-current |