About Stephen Kosslyn
Stephen M. Kosslyn was a pioneer in cognitive science and one of the founders of cognitive neuroscience. His work has shaped how psychologists, neuroscientists, and educators think about the neural bases of cognition, the science of learning, and the use of AI in teaching. He is particularly recognized for his research on and theories of mental imagery and how the brain represents the visual world. He was a Professor of Psychology at Harvard for more than thirty years, founding Dean and Chief Academic Officer of Minerva, and is now CEO of Active Learning Sciences.
A Career in Research, Teaching, and Building New Universities
John Lindsley Professor of Psychology Emeritus, Harvard University · Established in memory of William James · 2011 to present
Founding Dean and Chief Academic Officer, Minerva Schools at KGI · 2013 to 2018
Founder and President, Active Learning Sciences, Inc. · 2020 to 2026
Founder and CEO, Active Learning Sciences, Inc. · 2026 to present
A Lifetime of Work on Mental Imagery, Visual Cognition, and the Science of Learning
Mental imagery and visual cognition. Foundational work on how the brain produces mental images.
Neural bases of perception and object recognition. How the visual system identifies objects.
Visual communication. Cognitive principles for graphs, charts, and presentations.
Applied and clinical cognitive neuroscience. Astronaut cognitive assessment, deception detection, individual differences in cognitive style.
Education and the science of learning. Active-learning research underpinning Minerva, Foundry, and Active Learning Sciences.
Core Books
Mental Imagery and the Brain
Image and Mind, Image and Brain, The Case for Mental Imagery, Ghosts in the Mind's Machine, Wet Mind, and Top Brain/Bottom Brain
The Science of Learning and AI in Education
Active Learning Online, Active Learning with AI, and Learning to Flourish in the Age of AI
Visual Communication
Elements of Graph Design, Graph Design for the Eye and Mind, Clear and to the Point, and Better PowerPoint
Psychology Textbooks
Psychology: The Brain, the Person, the World; Cognitive Psychology: Mind and Brain; Abnormal Psychology; and Introducing Psychology