The University of Chicago
Department of Psychology
5848 South University Avenue
Chicago, IL, 60637
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Ian Lyons
Background
I received a Bachelor of Science degree from Brown University where I worked on models of human causal reasoning. I later worked as a research associate at Dartmouth College obtaining and analyzing neuroimaging data regarding the neural substrates of numerical cognition. I began my PhD here at the University of Chicago in September of 2006.
Research Interest
I am interested in understanding the neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying mathematical thinking. On the one hand I am interested in 'lower-level' perceptual and attentional processes responsible for the extraction and representation of basic numerical concepts, such as symbolic association and quantity representation. On the other hand, I am working to understand how numerically related processes interact with 'higher-level' functions such as working memory to produce more complex mathematical skills and behaviors. I believe both of these lines of research are important for understanding how social and developmental factors affect the fundamental and complex human ability to create and manipulate mathematical concepts.
