Jon Freeman

Jon Freeman, Associate Professor of Psychology at Columbia University, is the director of the Social Cognitive & Neural Sciences Lab. His research focuses on how we form split-second perceptions of other people, specifically exploring the cognitive and neural mechanisms behind person perception, bias, and stereotyping. He also investigates the real-time formation and dynamics of social and emotional judgments, examining the interplay between social cognition and visual perception.

Using techniques such as functional neuroimaging, computational modeling, and behavioral paradigms, Freeman takes an integrative and multi-level approach in his studies. Additionally, he is the creator of MouseTracker, a software that utilizes response-directed hand motion to uncover split-second decision-making. With numerous awards to his name, including the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, Freeman is dedicated to promoting STEM diversity.

His advocacy work focuses on addressing LGBTQ+ disparities in STEM and championing the incorporation of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) demographics into official data collection systems, ensuring the equity and inclusion of underrepresented groups in STEM and higher education. Collaborating with the American Association for the Advancement of Science, he is currently involved in a project to establish SOGI data infrastructures for federal STEM agencies and U. S