Jessica F. Cantlon

Jessica F. Cantlon
Alma materDuke University (PhD)
Indiana University Bloomington (BSc)
Scientific career
InstitutionsCarnegie Mellon University
ThesisThe cognitive and neural roots of mathematical knowledge. (2007)
Doctoral advisorElizabeth M. Brannon

Jessica Cantlon is the Ronald J. and Mary Ann Zdrojkowski Professor of Developmental Neuroscience at the Carnegie Mellon University. In 2017 she was selected as Time Person of the Year as one of the Silence Breakers.

Early life and education

Cantlon studied anthropology at Indiana University Bloomington. She moved to Duke University for her graduate studies, where she worked with Elizabeth Brannon on the neural bases of mathematical knowledge. Early in her graduate studies, Cantlon trained herself in functional MRI, recognising that neuroimaging could be used to further our understanding of learning.[1] Her research involved investigations into the origin of the human and primate capacity for mathematics. Cantlon showed that monkeys can perform mental arithmetic.[2] Working with Brannon, Cantlon constructed a mathematical task that asked monkeys to deduce whether a series of numbers were larger or smaller than the ones that proceeded them.[3] This study showed that the mechanism that monkeys use to make comparisons are the same as the ones humans use.[3] To prove the numerical skills of monkeys, Cantlon constructed an experiment where macaques interacted with a touchscreen computer that displayed basic mathematical challenges.[2] Cantlon presented the same challenges to college students, who achieved 94% correct answers, whilst the monkeys were successful 76% of the time.[2] The monkeys and college students had the same reaction time.[2] She completed her doctorate in 2007.

Awards and honours

Selected publications

  • ; Elizabeth M Brannon; Elizabeth J Carter; Kevin A Pelphrey (11 April 2006). "Functional imaging of numerical processing in adults and 4-y-old children". PLOS Biology. 4 (5): e125. doi:10.1371/JOURNAL.PBIO.0040125. ISSN 1544-9173. PMC 1431577. PMID 16594732. S2CID 8927879. Wikidata Q21092777.
  • Chapter 7: Number Beyond Number. 31 December 2011. pp. 93–110. doi:10.1515/9783110319750.93. ISBN 978-3-110-31975-0. Wikidata Q116267808. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
  • ; Elizabeth M Brannon (1 May 2006). "Shared system for ordering small and large numbers in monkeys and humans". Psychological Science. 17 (5): 401–406. doi:10.1111/J.1467-9280.2006.01719.X. ISSN 0956-7976. PMID 16683927. S2CID 1781257. Wikidata Q48447688.

Personal life

Cantlon is married to Brad Mahon, a cognitive neuroscientist at Carnegie Mellon University.[6]

Cantlon's 9th great grandmother is Rebecca Nurse.

References

  1. ^ a b "Jessica Cantlon seeks the origins of numerical thinking". Science News. 2016-09-21. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  2. ^ a b c d "Monkeys Can Perform Mental Addition | Duke Health". corporate.dukehealth.org. 11 December 2007. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  3. ^ a b "Monkey Math Machinery is Like Humans'". today.duke.edu. 31 October 2005. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  4. ^ Peace, Lauren. "UR whistleblowers among those awarded Time's Person of the Year". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  5. ^ "What Still Needs to Be Done to Break the Silence Surrounding Sexual Harassment". Time. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  6. ^ "Jessica Cantlon". Post. Archived from the original on 2019-11-07. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
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