Professor Patricia Reuter-Lorenz
Area: Cognition & Perception
Research Interests: My current research investigates cognitive and emotional working memory, attention and executive functions using brain imaging to understand how these functions are organized in younger brains, and how normal aging affects these abilities.
What has been your proudest moment?
My greatest source of pride is my son, Aaron. But as a professional, nothing
gives me more pride than seeing my students attain their academic goals. Whether it
is my undergraduate honors students receiving their degrees, or that moment I first
congratulate my Ph.D. student on a successful dissertation defense, the feeling of
pride and honor is overwhelming.
What has been your most humbling experience?
I am most awed and humbled by nature—the force of ocean waves, the vastness
of the Grand Canyon, the majesty of the Rocky Mountains, the tranquility of a
pristine lake deep in the woods, the infinite expanse of a star-filled sky. In moments
when I behold these sites (which don’t come often enough), I am reminded how
miniscule and helpless we are, how busily we pursue our goals, striving for this and
that, and how transient most of these actions are in the face of the nature’s perpetual
might and the eternal force of the universe. Such experiences inspire my curiosity
into the exquisite complexity of the human brain, a product of magnificent forces
capable of marveling at their magnificence.
What do you wish you had known at the start of your career?
The most surprising feature of my career has been the continual excitement
of life as a scientist and academic. The work is inherently dynamic and adventurous.
Scientists are always learning new things
and making new discoveries. Add to this
the opportunities for travel and professional interactions that are intrinsic to
the dissemination of knowledge, and you
have a delightfully varied, stimulating
and invigorating career. The demands of
this career are relentless; there’s always
another deadline, another grant or paper
to write, another experiment to design or
interpret, another lecture to prepare. But
the rewards are simply immeasurable!
What is one thing that most people
don’t know about you?
Before becoming an academic,
I thoroughly enjoyed a relatively short
but successful career as a fashion model
in Manhattan—hob-knobbing with celebrities, riding around in limousines,
wearing beautiful clothes, and being
part of the flashy disco scene that took
NYC by storm in the late 1970’s. Several
transformative experiences, including an
enlightening undergraduate course on
the psychology of consciousness taught
by Professor Richard Davidson, inspired
me to abandon the glitz and glamour of
modeling to become a psychology major
and then obtain a doctorate in neuropsychology. During this time I also took
up the study of Buddhism and meditation
practice for several years. Today,
Davidson has become one of the leading scientists working with the Dalai Lama
to discover the neural underpinnings of
mindfulness and meditation; had it not
been for his inspiration and guidance, I
would not be where I am today.
If you had to choose another career,
what would it be?
From the idealistic vantage point
of youth, I wanted to be an artist—a
painter, a poet, a photographer. I went
to a fine arts college to be a writer, and most of my college friends became artists,
so I know how hard a career path
this would have been. Knowing what I
know about money pressures, raising a
family and the desire to live a comfortable
life that sets in at 30-something, an
artist’s life would not suit me now. What
would? Maybe an international journalist,
a career that would allow me to
travel, learn, and use my skills as a writer.
"Five Minutes With..." Features
Rob Sellers | Cathy Lord | Patti Reuter-Lorenz | Monique Ward
Chris Peterson | Bill McKeachie | Margaret Shih | Cindy Lustig
On Our Minds 2005 Homepage
