Daphné Bavelier is a French cognitive neuroscientist specialized in brain plasticity and learning. She is full Professor at the University of Geneva in the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences. She heads the Brain and Learning lab at Campus Biotech in Geneva, Switzerland.
In 1996, she became assistant professor at the Georgetown Institute for Cognitive and Computational Sciences at Georgetown University. She then joined the Brain and Cognitive Science department at the University of Rochester in 1999, before moving to the department of Psychology within the Faculty of Psychology and Education Science at the University of Geneva in 2011.
Research Interest
Bavelier’s interest lies in how the brain adapts to changes in experience. Early in her career, she investigated how being born deaf and using sign language alters brain organization for attentional functions and language processing.[2][3] In 2000, Bavelier and her student (and now colleague) C. Shawn Green[4] made an unexpected discovery that video games could be powerful tools to induce brain plasticity. In particular, action video games were shown to enhance attention.[5] Since then, Bavelier has been interested in understanding how to leverage video games, and more generally digital technologies, to facilitate brain plasticity and learning.[6][7] The Brain and Learning Lab [8] now focuses on clarifying the factors that promote learning and brain plasticity using a multidisciplinary approach (behavior, brain imaging, eye tracking and vital statistics).
With an additional interest in translational work, Bavelier is one of the co-founders of Akili Interactive,[9] a company dedicated to leverage video games for therapeutic interventions.
Honors and awards
2019. Recipient of the 2019 Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize[10]
2018. TIGA Awards, Anxiety-relief video game shortlisted in the “Best Educational Game”[11]
2018. Nominated fellow of the American Psychological Society in recognition of her "sustained outstanding contributions to the science of psychology"[12]
2008. Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientist – Finalist in the faculty category[12]
^Provost, Antoine; Bourdon, Valentin; Bavelier, Daphne; Pichon, Swann (2018). "Serious Game for Attention Bias Modification". TIGA Games Industry Award 2018. Finalist in the Best Educational Game category.
