Starting in the mid-1990's, we began the investigations of the brain correlates of self-awareness. The research initially involved self-face recognition and fMRI at SUNY Albany and Albany Medical College. Soon thereafter, Julian Paul Keenan moved to Harvard Medical School, where a thorough line of investigation began that continues today. His work, and the work of his student collaborators, has laid out in some detail the role of the right hemisphere in creating and maintaining the self. Recent work continues to focus on the right hemisphere as well as cortical midline structures including the medial prefrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate and the precuneus. The Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory allows us to investigate self-awareness using a multitude of techniques including TMS, ERP, and eye-tracking.

 

We are currently examining the degree to which self and other overlap in the brain. Is the familiar a special case of the self? Does the ability to assume another person's mental state impact the regions of the self? We continue to examine the unique underpinnings of self and other.

 

We are currently involved in a number of studies that are examining the neural correlates of deception and deception detection. Unique is the evolutionary approach asking such questions as: Why does the brain produce deception? To what degree is the self involved in deception? Does deception improve as higher-order cognitive abilities improve? On a purely behavioral level, we examine gender differences in deception and deception detection as well as the role of the 'self' in lying.

 

Underlying many of the investigations are evolutionary theories. We are trying to understand why humans have a self. Many species survive quite well without a self (or a self to the degree that humans have). Why do we dedicate so much brain to the self?

 

A number of other projects catch our attention, usually driven by the interest of a motivated student. One such project involves investigating concussion rates in National Hockey League (NHL) and the role wearing a visor might have in concussion prevention. Another line of investigation surrounds dating and the brain correlates of mate recognition. 

 

The brain still remains largely unexplained. We hope to further the knowledge of the brain relating to higher-order cognitive and social abilities. The brain of the modern human provided some adaptive advantage, and carrying 'baggage' such as self-awareness must allow for benefits that outweigh the costs. It is the analysis of this cost/benefit ratio that will lead to a clear understanding of the ultimate origins of consciousness.