George Denfield

George Hilton Denfield, IV, MD, PhD, is a Leon Levy Fellow in Neuroscience and psychiatry resident physician at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. He completed his BS at Tufts University, concentrating in biopsychology and cognitive science. Dr. Daniel Dennett served as an advisor for his thesis exploring whether and how notions of cognitive modularity might be reflected and instantiated in neuroanatomical structures. He subsequently received his MD and PhD degrees from Baylor College of Medicine. His graduate thesis work in the lab of Dr. Andreas Tolias investigated how neuronal population activity in the primary visual cortex of non-human primate brains is governed by changes in internal brain states, such as shifts in the focus of attention. He is currently a postdoctoral neuroscience research fellow in the lab of Dr. Daniel Salzman, investigating how neuronal representations of context support flexible behavior. Dr. Denfield’s academic background in philosophy, psychology, and neurobiology have culminated in a focus on understanding the biological basis of he mind and consciousness and how such knowledge can advance our understanding of both typical and aberrant subjective experiences. Dr. Denfield has been recognized for his early-career contributions to neuroscientific research through the NIMH’s Outstanding Resident Award Program.