University of Southern California

USC Neuroscience

Hanna Damasio

University Professor
Dana Dornsife Professor of Neuroscience and Director, Dana and David Dornsife Cognitive Neuroscience Imaging Center

Research Overview

Hanna Damasio pioneered the use of brain imaging methods in the study of brain lesions, such as computerized tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, which can be used for diagnosing all of the diseases that affect the brain. She is director of the USC Dana and David Dornsife Cognitive Neuroscience Imaging Center.

A standard reference in the field, the second edition of Damasio's detailed atlas of the human brain based on computerized images, Human Brain Anatomy in Computerized Images, was published this past May. Her award-winning book Lesion Analysis in Neuropsychology is widely used by neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, psychiatrists, and neuroscientists, as well as, medical and neuroscience students. She is the author of numerous papers on the neuroanatomical substrates of higher brain function.

Contact Information

Web Sites:
Dana and David Dornsife Cognitive Neuroscience Imaging Center
Brain and Creativity Institute
E-mail:
hdamasio@college.usc.edu
Office Location:
SGM 501
Office Phone:
(213) 821-0731
Fax:
(213) 740-5372

Education

  • Honorary Doctorate University of Aachen,
  • Honorary Doctorate University of Lisbon,
  • MD University of Lisbon Medical School, 01/1969

Research Images

Selected Publications

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Glascher J, Tranel D, Paul LK, Rudrauf D, Rorden C, Hornaday A, Grabowski T, Damasio H, Adolphs R. (2009) Lesion mapping of cognitive abilities linked to intelligence. Neuron. 61(5):681-91. -PubMed

Immordino-Yang MH, McColl A, Damasio H, Damasio A. (2009) Neural correlates of admiration and compassion. Proc Natl Acad Sci  May 12;106(19):8021-6.  -PubMed

Anderson SW, Wisnowski JL, Barrash J, Damasio H, Tranel D. (2009) Consistency of
neuropsychological outcome following damage to prefrontal cortex in the first
years of life. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 31(2):170-9. -PubMed

Tranel D, Vianna E, Manzel K, Damasio H, Grabowski T. (2009) Neuroanatomical
correlates of the Benton Facial Recognition Test and Judgment of Line Orientation
Test. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 31(2):219-33. -PubMed

Rudrauf D, Lachaux JP, Damasio A, Baillet S, Hugueville L, Martinerie J, Damasio H, Renault B. (2009) Enter feelings: somatosensory responses following early stages of visual induction of emotion. Int J Psychophysiol. 72(1):13-23. -PubMed

Allen JS, Emmorey K, Bruss J, Damasio H. (2008) Morphology of the insula in relation to hearing status and sign language experience. J Neurosci. 28(46):11900-5. -PubMed

Allen JS, Bruss J, Mehta S, Grabowski T, Brown CK, Damasio H. (2008) Effects of spatial transformation on regional brain volume estimates. Neuroimage. 42(2):535-47. -PubMed

Rudrauf D, Mehta S, Bruss J, Tranel D, Damasio H, Grabowski TJ. (2008) Thresholding lesion overlap difference maps: application to category-related naming and recognition deficits. Neuroimage. 41(3):970-84. -PubMed

Clark L, Bechara A, Damasio H, Aitken MR, Sahakian BJ, Robbins TW. (2008) Differential effects of insular and ventromedial prefrontal cortex lesions on risky decision-making. Brain. 131(Pt 5):1311-22. -PubMed

Naqvi NH, Rudrauf D, Damasio H, Bechara A. (2007) Damage to the insula disrupts addiction to cigarette smoking. Science. 315(5811):531-4. -PubMed