Zeynep M. Saygin

What do you research and what brought you to that area of study?

A question that almost every parent asks themselves when they first lay eyes on their child is: who will he or she become? On a broader scale, are we born with a blueprint of uniquely human cognition? And how does this change or deviate due to brain injury or developmental disorders? I think these are the coolest questions and we now have the tools to start to answer them. I use noninvasive brain imaging to scan infants and children, and recently even the fetal brain, and link these early neural building blocks to later-developing cognitive abilities like reading and executive function. We can use these models to understand consequences of alterations such as repetitive head impact- what are the consequences of starting contact sports when the brain is still rapidly developing and acquiring new knowledge? How plastic is the developing brain and how does it enable recovery from injury? 

This work has both scientific and practical importance. On the basic science side, we can make and test mechanistic explanations about the emergence of human cognition. On the practical and translational side, we can inform clinical and educational research, and public policy; for example, predicting disorders even before they are apparent or before the relevant skill can even be measured (as in the case of reading) can allow us to develop specific interventions even before a child starts having trouble. Understanding susceptibility and recovery from brain injury in early development can help accelerate personalized medical research and is critical for families who are evaluating risks and benefits of playing contact sports. 

What excites you about doing interdisciplinary research at OSU?

My research is inherently interdisciplinary and science in general benefits from merging ideas across fields. I enjoy sharing ideas and expertise, and I find that I learn at least one new thing every time I meet with collaborators. Collaborative interdisciplinary work also benefits my mentees and helps expand their professional network, gives them fresh perspectives on their research, and broadens their training.   

In my free time, I enjoy painting and swimming. I also love to hike with my family at all the wonderful parks the city has to offer.