David C. Van Essen, Ph.D., is head of the Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology at Washington University School of Medicine as well as the Edison Professor of Neurobiology. His research interests include information processing in the primate visual system and computerized mapping of the mammalian cerebral cortex. He received his undergraduate degree from the California Institute of Technology and his doctorate from Harvard Medical School. He has been a leader in two major professional societies and is a member of several advisory boards. Dr. Van Essen is a Fellow of the AAAS and has received teaching excellence awards from the California Institute of Technology and Washington University School of Medicine. He has written more than 140 peer-reviewed articles and invited publications. He has held editorial responsibilities for several scientific publications and is currently on the editorial board of the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.